Chapter Text
Asriel and Dess eventually made it to the school after some time jamming and driving. You could hear the muffled loud music even from outside, and different colored flashing lights came out of a couple of windows. It was clear Prom King and Queen hadn’t been revealed yet, because otherwise the slow dancing would’ve started and it would’ve all mellowed out by now.
Asriel parked the truck and got out, circling around to open the door for Dess like a gentleman, taking her hand as she stepped out. Usually Dess would’ve just gotten out of the car herself instead of being subjected to such chivalrous behavior, but she couldn’t deny that it made her feel special, and that feeling was nothing short of addicting. Toriel also probably asked her son to behave this way anyways. Who am I kidding, she thought, he just looks so hot doing it, faha~
The two went inside after getting checked by one of the teachers chaperoning, and as soon as they did, Kris, Noelle, and Susie opened the cover of the truck’s cargo bed, with Susie dramatically gasping for air.
“AUUUGHHHH,” she gasped. “FINALLY! Angel, I couldn’t BREATHE!”
“Yeah, ‘cause you wouldn’t stop squirming around consuming all the oxygen!” Kris retorted. “You almost kicked me in the face a couple times!”
“Hey, come on, there’s no time!” Noelle whisper-screamed. “We gotta move now!”
“Right. Let’s go girls, we gotta sneak in through the back,” Kris instructed. They picked up the electric guitar in one hand and the cymbals in the other, hiding behind the bushes and laying low as they ran to avoid making too much noise. Noelle followed suit with her sister’s acoustic guitar on top of the snare drum, and Susie followed with the rest of the drum kit. “Go, go, go, let’s move!” Kris insisted, making all three of them pick up the pace.
They reached one of the outer walls of the school when they heard a couple come out of a car, laughing loudly. The trio peeked from the corner of the wall, and spotted the last person they would’ve been happy to see.
The green, blonde-haired alligator Bratty, wearing hot-pink lipstick and a same-colored dress, was holding hands with her prom date, the floating whale Glyde, who wore a form-fitting tuxedo and a black bow tie on his neck. They could not be a more perfect fit for the stereotypical mean girl and bully boy vibe, judging from the stories Asriel would tell Kris when they were at home playing games together.
“I SOOO can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction when WE win, babe,” Bratty said with her annoyingly conceited tone. “We got it like, in the BAG.”
“You know it,” Glyde agreed with his wing grabbing Bratty’s hand. “Anything to keep Ass-riel and his bitch from winning. Ah, who am I kidding, as if they even had a chance to begin with.” The two of them laughed even harder, which at this point made Kris grit their teeth and clench their fist.
“Those motherfuckers…” Kris growled quietly. “They’re so cartoonishly evil it makes my blood boil. It’s so STUPID, they’re acting like the villains of a high school movie made for babies, I HATE THEM!”
“Kris, please, calm down,” Noelle reassured them with a hand on their shoulder. “We’ll just stick to the plan okay?”
“Right, sorry,” Kris apologized. “You still have the votes, right?” Noelle responded by holding up Dess’s acoustic guitar, the sound of voting cards rattling inside it, which were visible through the hole below the strings. It earned a thumbs up and a smile from Kris, prompting Noelle to do the same.
“Pssst! Kris! Elly! I got an idea. Look what I found!” Susie whisper-yelled. They didn’t even notice that she left them temporarily as they were watching Bratty and Glyde go in the school. She came back quietly carrying an empty plastic bucket she obtained from outside school supplies, earning a puzzled look from Kris and Noelle. “And all we need is wine and strawberry soda, too, which I’m sure they have in there! Or any red liquid works too to be honest.“
“Susie? Why do you just have a random bucket…and why are you asking about red liquid…” Noelle asked. Her expression then turned from bewilderment to absolute shock, connecting the dots quickly as she realized the only possible explanation. “H-H-HOLD ON! You’re not…SERIOUSLY suggesting that we-”
“Ohhh-ho-hooo, HELL yes!” Susie confirmed with the most maniacal grin known to man and monster. “I’m EXACTLY suggesting we do that.”
Kris, on the other hand, changed their expression from bewilderment to a smirk. Then a giggle, then a laugh, and finally an evil cackle, which Susie quickly joined in on. Noelle, caught in the middle, was kind of scared but also excited, her mind drifting to how tonight was going to go. It was crazy, BEYOND crazy, but that’s what made it intriguing enough for her to go along with it.
“Hey! Who’s there!?” a voice sharply rang out from out the corner of the wall. It must’ve been one of the chaperones.
“Shit, we gotta move! Quick, let’s go!!!” Kris whispered. And just like that, the trio ran off, narrowly escaping detection as they made their way inside the school.
…
The auditorium of the school had been completely repurposed for prom. Since most of the teachers were either on guard duty outside to make sure only students came in, or just didn’t come because they weren’t comfortable with teenage parties, prom was usually pretty wild in Hometown’s school. Luckily there hadn’t been any severe incidents at any point; the only law-breaking thing that happened at prom was underage drinking and smoking. If Toriel was around, she’d be cracking down harder than ever with the rules, but she’s usually too busy to chaperone prom, which was a blessing for the students.
The music was loud, but Asriel quickly got used to it and how much of a vibe it was. Students came in with their dates, dancing the night away with each other under the flashing rainbow gradient lights. Asriel had been to parties like this before, and before dating Dess, it was way too overwhelming for him; he’d often be the odd one out just sitting in the corner looking at his phone. But now that Dess was here, all he needed was time, and her by his side, to get used to it.
“You feelin’ okay Azzy!?” Dess yelled in his ear, having to compete with the loud music.
“I’m fine!” Asriel responded. “I just uhh…I need a moment to adjust! You mind if we just sit and talk for the first few minutes!?”
“Only after I get a drink! You comin’ with me?”
“Yeah, sure thing!”
Asriel and Dess headed to where one of the students was serving drinks, grabbing from a cooler a bunch of beer cans to give out to any student who asked. Dess talked to the student to order a drink, while Asriel stood beside her watching the other students vibe. That’s when to his surprise, Pizzapants had recognized them both, and he came towards them with the dorkiest smile in the world. Asriel greeted his best school friend with a chuckle. If there was one good thing that happened so far, besides being with Dess, it was Asriel laughing at Pizzapants’s shenanigans.
“HEEEEEYYYY BUDDYYY!!!” Pizzapants yelled. How he didn’t get any stains on his suit so far was beyond anyone’s guess, but Asriel knew better than to question that right now.
“What’s up, ya big oaf,” Asriel responded with the nickname he always gave PP. They greeted each other with a dap-up and a fist bump right after. “Didn’t get a date, did ya?”
“Oh I actually did! It’s Pizzarina dude, who else is it gonna be?”
“Wha-, come on PP, you can’t be serious. You’re telling me you met up with her in person finally?”
“Nope! She and I just texted earlier today, and she promised she’d be here when I sent her the location! I just know she’s coming. I feel it in my gut man, this is it!” Asriel was baffled at just how stupid his friend could be. He didn’t think it was possible to be so lovestruck by a clearly Photoshopped profile picture of all things that you forget basic Internet safety, but here Pizzapants was proving him wrong.
“Dude, you can’t keep seeing this girl forever like this. What if you’re being catfished? Have you even considered what it’d be like if Pizzarina turned out to be a guy for example? Actually, even worse, if said guy turned out to be a catfishing criminal!?”
“PIZZARINA DOES NOT HAVE A DICK!”
“YOU’RE MISSING THE POINT, YOU IDIOT!!!”
Asriel sighed before continuing. “It’s not about whether you’re flirting with someone with a penis, I’m talking about basic safety here, you big oaf. You gave this person the location of our school? The hell are you thinking??? What if it’s some lunatic with a gun?”
“Buddy, come oonnn,” PP attempted to reassure him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders while his goofy, way-too-wide grin still showed. “It’ll be fiiineee, that’s what the chaperones outside are for! She’ll show up, and she’ll be a normal, gorgeous girl, trust!”
“Hehe, just don’t say I didn’t warn ya,” Asriel chuckled.
Dess suddenly turned around with a can of beer in her mouth, then sighed as she smiled at her boyfriend. “All done, we can sit over there if you want,” she signaled to an unoccupied couch. “Sup, Pizzabitch, hope you’re havin’ fun!”
“Right back at ya girl,” PP replied with finger guns and a wink, not even caring about Dess’s swift, almost sneaky insult of a nickname. Dess rolled her eyes in mild annoyance at the overconfidence. She could tell he was drunk out of his mind, but Pizzapants wasn’t a bad guy. Sure, he’s perverted and had been caught staring a little too much at her more times than she cared to remember, but it always ended in a beatdown with a baseball bat, so it all evened out. It made her chuckle a bit, the alcohol starting to take effect.
Asriel and Dess slumped back on a stray couch inside the auditorium, watching the students dance the night away. Asriel smiled as he bobbed his head to the beat. His inner drummer loved head-bobbing to these beats, but he was never confident in his dancing, which made him way too self-conscious. So he just resorted to watching and vibing.
“You know the whole point of prom is to like…dance, right?” Dess remarked with another sip of her beer.
“I know, I know,” Asriel agreed. Self-consciousness washed over him from Dess’s comment like a tsunami. “Fuck, I’m pathetic. I feel this embarrassed about dancing with my date. I’m ruining it, aren’t I…”
“Hey hey hey, I didn’t say you were ruining anything,” Dess interrupted with a genuine smile. “Maybe you just uhhh…need a drink! I can stop you when you had enough.”
“Dess, you know I have to drive you back home. Even if I wanted to, I can’t.”
“It’s fiiineee. You know how your dad is, he won’t care in the slightest what happens to his truck because he loves you to an unhealthy degree. You can just leave it here and call a Runeber to drive us home, then walk here and drive the truck back home in the morning. It’s not like anything will happen to it, crime in this town is so underwhelming,” Dess slightly insisted. She cupped Asriel’s cheek with one hand to make him look at her in the eyes, full of compassion for how responsible and shy her boyfriend was. Any ordinary girl would’ve called things off when it was this bad, but Dess was no ordinary girl. She always found the process of easing him into things more adorable than a litter of puppies, having to push him slowly but surely until he found the confidence.
“But Asriel, please,” Dess pleaded with a small kiss on his lips, “don’t feel pressured to do anything. Tonight is going to be perfect with just you by my side. If you want to just talk, we can talk. I just beat Dragon Blazers 4 after all! I know how badly you wanted me to finish it.” She finished that sentence with a grin and a laugh.
Asriel’s eyes lit up for the tenth time that night. “Really!?!? And what did you think???”
“Ehhh, 8/10 game. I really loved how they made parrying on enemy turns slightly more forgiving than last time. But that ending man. I HATE cliffhangers! You can’t just say that wasn’t the true prophecy all along and leave me hanging like that!”
“Haha, it’s called storytelling strategy,” Asriel commented, holding her even closer now to the point that they were cuddling, his body feeling the fabric of Dess’s red dress against his black suit. “They gotta keep us gamers excited for the next installment somehow.”
“I knowww, but I have to wait 4 more yearsss! And I hate waitiinnnnggg…” Dess whined, the alcohol starting to take more effect on her. Asriel laughed at his progressively drunk girlfriend.
His mind pondered for a good few minutes on the possibilities, pros, and cons. Dess had a point; it wasn’t really a real prom night if the two of them weren’t going to dance together. And worst-case scenario, he could simply call a ride for both of them home. But more importantly, he felt bad leaving Dess drunk while he was sober, and if she thought one or two shots would help him relax, he trusted her with his life. Dess was also drinking from a previously unopened can, too, so there was pretty much zero risk of it being drugged, meaning there was nothing to worry about.
After careful consideration, Asriel gently took the can from Dess’s hand, and drank a bit on his own. There were no words between the two of them, only a smile in Asriel’s face that read “I’ll try, for us,” and a look of surprise from Dess, followed by a grin and sparkling eyes on her that read “I love you way too much.” Soon enough, the can was emptied with Dess’s help, to make sure he didn’t go overboard by taking it all himself. The two of them then got up and towards the dance floor, ready to have a good time.
As long as they were together, they would be safe. And that was the only push the golden boy needed.
The two began their dance, lively and energetic in tune with the party music blaring out of every speaker. They didn’t dare to let go of each other’s bodies, knowing Dess’s touch brought Asriel comfort in his nervousness. Asriel focused on Dess’s face while his feet, legs, hips, and arms danced away. Her lips, her beautiful hair, her antlers, and those eyes. Those gorgeous brown eyes, serving as a window to her rowdy heart.
Dess’s lively laugh, as well as her words of encouragement, blended in perfectly with the beat of the music, and it made Asriel’s own laugh ring out as well. The alcohol was beginning to affect him, but in her arms, he felt so protected, like a young child being comforted during a thunderstorm. He no longer had any fear of embarrassing himself, knowing that thanks to this doe’s presence, it was like nobody was around. Nothing else mattered. Only the fun the two were having. Something they both wished would never end.
But unfortunately, it was like the universe read their minds to do the exact opposite out of spite.
Asriel felt something on his back forcefully push him forward, which made him accidentally step on Dess’s hoof, earning a yelp of pain from her. Dess focused her strength on catching him, wincing from the sudden pain on her hoof.
“SHIT, Dess, I’m sorry I-I didn’t mea-” Asriel stammered, sweating bullets at what he just did.
“GLYDE, YOU BASTARD!!!” Dess shouted, sticking her head to the side, the loud music fortunately masking her voice just enough for it to not cause a scene.
Glyde was holding his stomach, laughing hysterically to tears at the little prank he just committed, followed by Bratty showing up beside him and doing the same.
“That was priceless,” Glyde taunted, unable to calm down from his laughter. “You should’ve seen your face Ass-riel!”
“Hahaha, oh my GOD Glyde, you should've stayed hidden so bitch Holiday over here would’ve been, like, ACTUALLY pissed at him,” Bratty added.
“I KNOW!” Glyde agreed. “DAMN it, this was just too funny!”
Asriel regained his balance with the help of Dess, and after dusting his suit off a bit, he looked at Glyde with nothing but contempt. “Dude what is your problem?” Asriel asked angrily. “Can you go one day without being such a grade-A cartoonish asshole???”
“I’ll tell you what the problem is,” Bratty’s voice growled, with a dead serious tone all of a sudden, her face all up in Asriel’s in the most intense glare you could imagine. “My problem is you, and your bitch, thinking you have a chance at MY crown. That crown is reserved for only PRETTY boys and girls, not losers who will never amount to anything with that shitty music, yo.”
Dess noticed how dangerously close Bratty was getting to Asriel, and she stepped in between them, placing a firm grip on Bratty’s shoulder that made sure to hurt her. “Not another word, Bratty. You lay one finger on him, and you’re dead,” Dess warned, venom spewing out of her mouth with every word. Bratty looked back at her with so much contempt all over her face, her teeth gritting to show an expression with a meaning that couldn’t be more obvious: “fuck you”.
A familiar voice then called out from the stage with her face close to the microphone, stopping things before they got serious, to everyone’s luck. “HELLOOOO FRIEEENNDS!! IT’S TIME FOR THE PROM KING AND QUEEN ANNOUNCEMENT Y’AAAALLLL!!” Catty Cattenheimer called out. She was wearing a pale green dress, and was smiling brighter than a diamond when she saw how good everyone looked (except her frenemy Bratty, in her eyes). “All of you…ehhh, well…MOST of you…look SOOO beautiful and handsome, I’m like, SO jealous of some of y’alls outfits, it’s CRAZY! But only two of y’all get to hold the crowns, so who’s excited to seeee!!!”
Everyone cheered as loudly as they could, Catty’s smile being hardly contained as she held the envelope containing the names of the lucky couple that would be crowned. Bratty had her arms crossed with the smuggest smirk on her face, silently knowing she was going to win alongside Glyde. Bratty and Glyde were known for being the stereotypical “popular kids” at school, insufferable to those who just wanted to get by, and Bratty’s self-centeredness would do anything to keep this image. To that end, she had rigged the votes to her favor. Or at least, she thought she did. Because that was before a certain human gremlin had ruined her plans, unbeknownst to everyone.
…
Kris and Susie were crawling across the entire auditorium, looking for the drinks section, while Noelle was off replacing whatever votes were cast earlier with their own forged votes. With stealth rivaling that of a military spy, Kris picked out every single bottle and can of wine and strawberry soda from the cooler containing the drinks, making sure to mask the sounds of colliding ice with the loud music. Once Kris was done, they headed back to Susie and Noelle, and the trio proceeded to go behind the curtains of the stage. They drained every last bottle and every last can of their contents, emptying it all into the plastic bucket to fill it to the brim with red.
As soon as the bucket was full, the trio helped each other carefully carry the bucket up to the rafters, very slowly but steadily, making sure not a single drop spilled. Once they finally reached the top, they all laid low and hid, peeking at the stage below them, and then at the pompous alligator and whale, with the most mischievous faces imaginable. This was yet another one of Kris’s master pranks at work, all thanks to ❤️Susie’s Idea, and they were rubbing their hands together with evil delight.
“Bratty has no clue,” Kris said, barely containing their evil giggle. “You girls got the bucket ready?”
“Affirmative,” Susie and Noelle confirmed in unison, both of them holding the bucket in their hands that they took from the school supplies, full of a mix of wine and strawberry soda that made for the perfect fake blood.
“Well, it’d be SO uncool to keep y’all waiting any longer!” Catty said happily, opening the envelope to read the names of the winners off the slip that came out.
The music had stopped completely, the deafening silence filling the room with an uncomfortable suspense that everyone desperately wished to be over already.
“The crowns for Prom King and Queen go toooo…!”
“ME! IT’S ME!!!” Glyde suddenly interrupted by shouting. He grabbed his date’s arm and dragged her with him to the stage, but Bratty didn’t mind in the slightest. They both stood in front of the microphone, taking their crown and tiara and putting it on their own heads, basking in the round of applause that ensued from the rest of the students, except Asriel and Dess, who just had annoyed looks on their faces. They didn’t expect to win, but their mood got kinda soured when it was those two of all people who won.
“On the count of three,” Kris whispered. “One…two…THREE!”
“BATH TIME MOTHERFUCKEEEEERRRRRSSS!!!” Susie screamed.
The bucket leaned forwards at a 90-degree angle, in the hands of the lizard and the doe. The red mix spilled like the most graceful slow-motion B-roll footage of a waterfall, a sight worthy of only the best horror films. It landed square in the heads of Bratty and Glyde, bathing them head to toe in a sea of fake blood, washing away any chance they had at a remotely fun night. It was the least they deserved, in every sane person’s mind, which unfortunately wasn’t much of the audience considering their audible gasps.
The whale’s mind froze to a dead halt, akin to a vegetative state. The alligator’s mind, on the other hand, was all over the place. Intense shock at first, intense fear second, wondering what was happening to her. Realization hit as she looked down at her ruined skin and dress now drenched in red. Humiliation. Embarrassment. Anger. It was all so overwhelming, and it meant she couldn’t find the words to even speak.
“A-...” she tried as hard as she could, but couldn’t muster anything more than shocked squeaks, tears forming in her eyes. “I-...AGH………OH-………OH!!-”
“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” Kris cackled maniacally, their laughs rivaling that of the most vile villain one could imagine. They held their stomach through their emerald green dress, unable to mitigate the pain of laughing so hard. “HAHAHAHA, I CAN’T BREATHE MAN, HOLY SHIT!”
“BEST. IDEA. EVER!!!” Susie agreed, high-fiving Kris as hard as she could to let it ring out across the auditorium, finally prompting everyone to look at the trio that caused this whole prank. The students talked amongst themselves, wondering why the lower graders were at the senior students’ prom, and Asriel and Dess were absolutely shocked at the reveal that their siblings and the lizard were behind all this. However, the couple quickly looked down at the now-ruined Bratty and Glyde, alongside every other student, and Dess covered her mouth to stifle a chuckle. Said chuckle turned into a small laugh, and finally a hysterical laugh that everyone else joined in on. Even Asriel joined in, although his laughing was admittedly not as prominent as the others. Glyde, when he recovered, was fuming at the ridicule, Bratty still as unmoving as a rock.
“HEY! ALL OF YOU STOP IT!” he shouted, his face contorting in anger. “THIS ISN’T FUNNY, YOU HEAR ME!? ASS-RIEL, YOU ARE SO DE-”
bonk
The now empty plastic bucket had fallen square on Glyde’s head, knocking him out cold on the floor. The whale snored loudly while he slept like a rock in a pool of fake blood. The laughter from the students intensified, and Bratty sobbed into her hands, running off the stage and outside the school, leaving her date behind. Kris, Susie, and Noelle got down from the rafters and onto the stage. Susie’s arm was on Kris’s shoulder when she spit on Glyde’s snoring asleep body, while Kris called out “serves you right, bitch!” to Bratty. Noelle followed behind both of them, her arms behind her back with the most innocent expression imaginable. She then jumped and yelped slightly when her hoof touched Glyde's snoring body, and took advantage of everyone being hyperfocused on Bratty running off to drag the whale away stealthily and unnoticed. Noelle struggled with his weight, but eventually she was able to drag him off the stage and sit him down on one of the chairs that were set aside to make space for the dance floor in the auditorium. She mentally convinced herself that this would be taken care of later, probably with a good splash of water to the face from one of the other students.
“Anyway, Catty, I don’t think you managed to read the real winners off the card, right?” Susie made sure to ask. Noelle quickly rushed back up the stage and stood beside her when she asked the question, putting her arms behind her once again and smiling politely for anyone who may be looking at them.
“Uh…right, right! SO sorry girl, I’ve never been, like, more shocked in my life ever,” Catty responded. “Uhhhh, hahaha,” she addressed the audience, attempting to make the laughter die down, which was a success after a minute. “Anyway, y’all, tonight’s REAL Prom King and Queen arrrreeeee…!”
The suspense was exhilarating, with everyone giving their undivided attention at the reveal that was now going to be uninterrupted. Dess held on to Asriel’s arm, and he responded in tow by holding her hand tightly.
“...ASRIEL DREEMURR AND DECEMBER HOLIDAY!!!”
The students cheered harder than ever, rounds of applause and “WOOOO”s filling the auditorium. Asriel and Dess were again, initially shocked, but it was for a shorter time. They squealed in happiness at the reveal and hugged tight, not knowing how the hell they of all couples could’ve won but at the same time not caring.
“DESS, DID WE JUST WIN!?” Asriel shouted.
“YEAH AZZY, WE DID, WE FUCKING WON!!” Dess shouted back.
“OH ANGEL, AM I DREAMING!?”
“Both of you, please come up here to receive your crowns!” Catty called out to them, which they immediately obeyed. As soon as Asriel and Dess got on stage, Asriel had a jeweled crown placed on his head, his dorky smile never fading. Dess was slightly more composed but still as excited as a little girl being taken to QC’s, when her jeweled tiara was placed on her head, complementing her antlers perfectly. The couple held each other and smiled in front of the students, making everyone cheer harder while cameras shuttered and flashed to take photos.
“Well, y’all KNOW what happens next!” Catty continued. “Hope ya still got yo partner with ya, because it’s SLOW DANCIN’ time! That’s right, feeeel the looove!”
The people in charge of the music changed to a slower, romantic instrumental track fitting for a slow dance at a wedding or a private honeymoon date. Asriel and Dess, as well as every other student with a partner, got in position to start dancing, but it hadn’t even been 10 seconds when Kris suddenly snatched the microphone from Catty.
“BOOOOORRRIIIIINNNGGG!!!” Kris spoke loudly, scaring the music players into stopping the track all of a sudden. “This is a high school prom, not a 50-year marriage anniversary for an old couple. You want something to slow dance to, check this out.”
Everyone was too focused on Asriel and Dess being crowned Prom King and Queen to realize that Kris, Susie, and Noelle had all set up their instruments that they brought. The trio got into position with Kris holding an electric guitar, Noelle holding her sister’s acoustic guitar, and Susie sat down on a stool in front of the drum kit ready to give them a beat. Asriel turned around to look at his sibling, confused as to where this was all coming from.
“Kris?” he asked. “What are you doing?”
“Not now dude. You got a girl to dance with. Just let us do our thing.”
Needless to say, Asriel was perplexed at the lengths Kris was going for such a gesture towards their brother, and his mind immediately began to think of the possibilities as to why, most of them landing in the fact that they probably just wanted blackmail material. But perhaps, deep down, Kris just loved seeing their brother happy, and wanted to surprise him to give him the best night of his school life.
Asriel didn’t know the answer for sure. But what he did know is that whatever it was, it meant the entire world to him. So instead of asking any more questions, he smiled at his sibling and turned to look at Dess, who was also smiling.
“May I have this dance?” he asked.
“You know the answer to that,” Dess chuckled. Asriel put one hand on her waist, and Dess put one hand on his shoulder. Their other hands held the other’s, ready for the dance of their teenage lives.
Then, with the first few strikes of the drums from Susie, a strong but slow riff rang out from the amps as a result of Kris’s guitar playing. The riff continued, giving a rock-fueled ambience to the romantic tenderness of the dance, and Dess smiled even brighter when she swayed side to side with her partner. The riff then stopped, with Noelle chiming in with the acoustic guitar and Susie starting the vocals.
(Parkway Drive - “A Deathless Song”, ft. Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive)
(Bold italic lyrics - Susie. Italic lyrics - Noelle. Bold italic underlined lyrics - Both of them!)
Let me beat in your heart,
be your drum of war and love
Let me hide in your arms,
be my cage, my key, my lock
Let our bones collide,
till the light falls like anvils from our eyes!
When our dreams ignite,
disappear in their fire, oh
Be my deathless song
Fill my aching lungs!
(Whoa-ohhhhh!), breathe your life into me!
(Whoa-ohhhhh…haaaah-ahhhh…)
‘Cause I drown in your shadow,
like salt in the rain
If my fear is tomorrow,
your memory’s the fight in my veins!
Dess threw her head back slightly, laughing out loud at the perfection that was this moment. The couple turned round and round during their dance, the other students doing the same, while those who weren’t students or didn’t have a partner cheered silently by waving the flashlights in their phones from side to side.
Let me beat in your heart,
be your drum of war and love
Let me hide in your arms,
be my cage, my key, my lock
Let our bones collide (let our bones collide!),
till the light falls like anvils from our eyes!
When our dreams ignite (when our dreams ignite!),
disappear in their fire, oh
Be my open sky
Fill these wild eyes!
(Whoa-ohhhhh!), breathe your life into me!
(Whoa-ohhhhh…haaaah-ahhhh…)
‘Cause I drown in your shadow,
like salt in the rain
If my fear is tomorrow,
your memory’s the fight in my veins!
Kris went into a brazen guitar solo, highly resisting the urge to step forward even more to take the spotlight away from the main couple, but that didn’t stop them from rocking it out while they played. Asriel and Dess kept dancing, now not limiting themselves to simple swaying but now putting more effort into their performance.
They both spun away from one another linked by their hands before spinning back into each other’s arms. Dess twirled in place while Asriel held her hand up high. They picked up the pace of their steps to lead into Dess throwing her body weight backwards while Asriel held her back with his hand, their faces inches apart all the while. Their faces hurt from the constant smiling, but it’s not like there was any reason to stop. The dance was simply perfect, and such perfection touched their hearts in ways they could only imagine in their wildest dreams.
‘Cause I drown in your shadow,
like salt in the rain
If my fear is tomorrow,
your memory’s the fight in my veins…
For a brief moment, it’s like the world around them faded into fog, like they were alone floating in a dark scene illuminated by blurry fireflies. They looked into each other’s eyes, windows into their hearts and SOULs, in a near-trancelike state resulting from their appreciation of the other’s beauty.
Asriel and Dess’s minds went into overdrive at the events that played out. They were prepared for a night to remember, a night where they would talk and have a good time with some good party music in the background and maybe some dancing if Asriel had enough confidence. And now here they were, Prom King and Queen. There was no way their minds could’ve predicted such a turn of events would happen, and with how well it was going, they silently begged to any and all gods and the Angel above for the moment to last forever.
These intense feelings were bottling up, dangerously getting close to making at least one of the two explode from sheer adoration for the other. So they did the only thing they could think of to ease the other’s tension: a passionate kiss while they danced even slower, in time with Kris, Noelle, and Susie’s song starting once again to finish once and for all.
(Whoa-ohhhhh!), breathe your life into me!
(Whoa-ohhhhh…haaaah-ahhhh…)
‘Cause I drown in your shadow,
like salt in the rain
If my fear is tomorrow,
your memory’s the fight in my veins!
(Whoa-ohhhhh!),
(Whoa-ohhhhh…haaaah-ahhhh…)
‘Cause I drown in your shadow,
like salt in the rain
If my fear is tomorrow,
your memory’s the fight in my veins…
When the song stopped, the couple stood still, the kiss lasting for what felt like the most desired eternity ever. The sounds of an audience of students cheering like a crowd in a rock concert filled their ears, and no words needed to be spoken for the two of them to communicate their thoughts. This is perfect. I adore you. I adore you more. Don’t make it a competition. Shut up and just kiss me more already.
Kris looked at their brother and his girlfriend with the biggest grin they’ve ever made in their life, feeling nothing but warmth and satisfaction at a mission complete. For a moment, they didn’t care about any blackmail or favors that they could ask or make due to this gesture, simply feeling happy for their older brother. They knew deep down, that somewhere in Asriel’s cluttered mess of thoughts, was a deep, loving gratitude, and with this in mind, they celebrated their victory by making the devil horns sign with their fingers in the air.
Asriel and Dess were in desperate need of air, so eventually they had to break their kiss. They rested their foreheads against each other for a brief moment, but the elephant in the room still needed to be addressed and properly thanked, so Dess let go of her boyfriend to look at the human in the green dress basking in the glory of a rockstar.
“Krismas?” Dess asked, smiling. “You did this? All of this??”
The human turned around, rubbing their nose with their finger, a hand on their hip and a huge smirk on their face. “You bet your ass I did,” Kris confirmed. “You’re welcome by the way.”
“Faha, damn, going to such huge lengths just to give us the perfect dance? Didn’t think you had it in ya,” Dess said bluntly, although it was to no one’s surprise, not even Kris themself.
“Okaaayyy, I will admit, I couldn’t have done it without those two’s help,” Kris said gesturing towards Susie and Noelle, who were having an intense PDA moment while giggling like schoolgirls. Ordinarily, Dess would’ve played a protective older sister role against Susie, but over the months that she and Noelle had been together, Susie had done everything in her power to get on her good side, and Dess had to admit she and her weren’t so different after all. Anyone who played drums that well deserved respect in Dess’s book, not to mention she’d never seen her little sister smile so brightly. It made Dess smile herself.
“Thank you Susie,” Dess said with heartfelt gratitude. “And you too, Elly. All of you, really. You have no idea how much me and Azzy appreciate what you just did for us. This is probably one of the best nights me and Azzy will ever have, and it’s thanks to all of this.”
“Not to mention you killed it at the drums, Susie!” Asriel chimed in, his arm on Dess’s shoulder. His tone of voice felt like a proud music teacher, and it made Susie’s expression become one of pleasant surprise. “Gotta say, I’m proud of you! You got talent for this stuff. Maybe you could be bloodcrusherstheband’s backup drummer if I’m sick one day?”
“I-, oh wow!” Susie tried to speak, a slight embarrassed blush forming on her face while Noelle nuzzled it. “That’s-...that’s such an honor… I’d be so honored!”
“As for you, Krismas,” Dess turned to look at them smugly. “Not bad of a performance, not bad at all. But…”
Dess suddenly snatched the guitar from Kris’s hands, which was still connected to the amp, so slight garbage noise rang out across the auditorium, focusing everyone’s attention on the stage once again. “...I think you should stand back and see how a pro does things. Azzy, you with me?”
Asriel looked at his girlfriend, knowing her musician urges had won her over completely. It was natural after hearing such a performance, and so he had no choice but to humor her. After all, he also wanted to jam with her. “Susie, mind if I sit down?” he asked politely, with Susie standing up from the stool in response and giving Asriel his drumsticks. He twirled them around with a grin, and Dess stepped in front of the mic to greet the rest of the students.
“SUUUUP NEEERRRDS!!!” Dess shouted into the mic, prompting cheers once again when the students realized they were about to get a bloodcrusherstheband performance right then and there. “I’M LOVIN’ THE ENERGY OUT HERE!”
“Hope y’all aren’t feeling too wasted, ‘cause I’m feeling a bit woozy…like, what TIME even IS IT?” she continued. “Alas, I feel like one more song is in order! Is everyone ready? Let’s do iiiiittt, FAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!”
The students cheered harder, giving Dess the green light to begin whatever she had in store already. With a look towards Asriel, and a look from him to her, they silently agreed on what to play as if they could communicate via telepathy. Asriel raised his drumsticks up high, smacking them together to begin the performance.
1…2…1, 2, 3, 4!
A low-volume riff, Asriel patiently waiting his turn to chime in. As the intro built up, Dess hyped up her audience. “JUMP…JUMP…JUMP JUMP JUMP JUMP!!!” she commanded.
Dess’s riff exploded into the same one but louder and on a slightly sharper tone, Asriel now finally giving her the beat the song needed. Dess jammed like there was no tomorrow, the riff triggering every single pleasure center in her brain comparable to the likes of watching Asriel run track or train topless for such competitions. The audience jumped with every beat, the cheers louder than ever at the intense hype of the song. Dess sang the first verse, winking with the first set and sticking her tongue out while running her thumb across her throat with the second set.
(Parkway Drive - “Prey”)
(All lyrics are sung by Dess, except for all bold italic "PREY" chants, sung by the audience)
I got an axe to grind, a crooked mind,
you better watch your back… (x2)
Starved like a vampire chasing a vein
Cruel disposition, sickness I crave
Attention, attention, welcome to the stage!
Your new sacrifice, come sharpen your teeth
Prey, we are all prey for the sorrow! (x2)
Our sorrow!
“SAY IT WITH ME!” Dess hyped them up.
“PREY!”
“PREY!”
We’re prey for the sorrow
“YEEEAAAHH, DO IT AGAIN!”
“PREY!”
“PREY!”
Prey for the sorrow
The students responded, each throwing a fist in the air with every chant. Dess adored writing these songs, the ones where the band interacted with the audience and made them part of the performance. It made playing them live a more personal and much more fun experience.
I got an axe to grind, a crooked mind,
you better watch your back… (x2)
Sick validation, gut full of pills
Self-medication, it’s making me ill
Attention, attention, it’s all eyes on me!
I’ll burn at the stake while you ache for the kill
Prey, we are all prey for the sorrow! (x2)
Our sorrow!
“HIT IT!!!” Dess shouted, going back into the riff that triggered so much pleasure in her brain and her eardrums.
Prey for the sorrow!
The students at the front lines headbanged like their lives depended on it, while the others either jumped to the beat or cheered while recording the whole thing.
Our sorrow!
“AGAIN EVERYONE!!!”
“PREY!”
“PREY!”
We’re prey for the sorrow
“HELL YEAH!!!”
“PREY!”
“PREY!”
Prey for the sorrow
“Put your hands in the fuckin’ air!” Dess commanded, everyone following suit by raising their hands and clapping them in time with Asriel’s drumming. “Who wants a breakdown, huh?”
“BREAKDOWN! BREAKDOWN!” everyone chanted.
“Say it louder! I said WHO WANTS A MOTHERFUCKIN’ BREAKDOWN!!!”
“BREAKDOWN! BREAKDOWN!” they chanted harder.
Asriel looked at Dess as he played the drums, watching her hype up the audience, feeling himself chuckle loudly at her antics. It was like seeing the Angel itself perform, and he loved every single second of it. He could’ve sworn he felt at least one tear escape his eye, knowing that Dess must’ve been in heaven at that moment. This is what she lived for, what she dreamed of doing every chance she got until the day she died. And what he dreamed of doing, besides getting a CS career, was doing this with her, right by her side, until they grew old together. He didn’t give a microbe of a shit how cheesy it sounded, it was the plain, honest truth.
Our new gods are empty like the holes in our heads
We dance upon the altar of envy and hubris
A scourge of narcissism reaps depression in black waves
If this is your salvation, you better pray
“Alright everyone, gather up!” Dess called out while playing an introductory solo. “No holding back, ya hear me! GO CRAZY, GO WILD!! IT’S THE NIGHT OF OUR LIVES BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS SCHOOL, MAKE IT COUNT!!!”
YOU BETTER PRAAAYYY
A sick metalcore breakdown enveloped everyone in the vicinity, composed by Dess’s incredible guitar skills and Asriel’s intense drumming that was worthy of headbanging until your bones snapped.
YOU BETTER PRAAAYYY
Some of the students took the breakdown seriously like a real heavy metal concert, because a small mosh pit formed in the middle of the pack where they violently smashed their bodies into each other, the pit’s border made up of other students running in a circle.
JUMP! JUMP! ONE, TWO, THREE, GO!!!
Prey, we are all prey for the sorrow! (x2)
Our sorrow!
“FINISH IT!”
“PREY!”
“PREY!”
Prey for the sorrow!
“ONE MORE TIME!!!”
“PREY!”
“PREY!”
Prey for the sorrow…
The audience let out screams and cheers one last time, and Dess had the biggest, goofiest smile on her face when this happened. At first she thanked everyone for participating, but then she took a moment of silence to simply bask in the glory of the rounds of applause. The feeling of being cheered on this hard after a performance is nothing short of intoxicating, more than even the most powerful recreational drug, and Dess sought to actively prolong this feeling for as long as possible by closing her eyes, extending her arms to the sides, and let the applause and cheers wash over her like a wave washing away every last bit of dirt on her body.
That said, she was interrupted by a laughing Asriel, who got up from his drum kit to run over to her and throw himself into her arms, making them both laugh hysterically at the fun mini-show they just played. No words needed to be said; all the happiness and love necessary oozed from their bodies and facial expressions, which could soften even the most stonelike of hearts when watching them like this. In the middle of every laugh, Asriel would kiss a different part of Dess’s face, and Dess would return the favor by doing the same to his face and his neck. And with each and every passionate moment, they didn’t realize they were carrying themselves away from the scene, off the stage and out one of the back doors of the school auditorium.
Kris and Susie followed them stealthily, until finally they were outside the school to see where they were going. Asriel and Dess were running and jumping for joy away from the school, Asriel briefly lifting up Dess’s body by the waist and spinning her around, prompting her to spread her arms out and laugh happily at the stars above. This, among other gestures, was proof that prom night was an overwhelming success, and it made the human and the lizard smile in the biggest satisfaction they felt yet.
Noticing where the couple was going, into the trees of the forest beside the school, Kris replaced their smile with the most mischievous smirk known to man and monster alike, and put a hand on their hip to state the one thing they knew for a fact was going to happen next.
“Oh they fuckin’” Kris asserted while chuckling.
“OH THEY FAWKIN’” Susie agreed with her own chuckle, abruptly wrapping her arm around Kris’s shoulder, smiling like a gremlin.