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The manor had been abuzz with chatter and excitement. Walter Manor was hosting a prom for the bots! Couples had been springing up here and there as people wanted to go together. Nox had insisted on a chocolate fountain. Koutali had yelled at him at first, threatening him for wanting to mess with chocolate. And Nox yelled right back, saying he was deeply offended by the insinuation that he would ever do something so crass! He simply wanted everyone to enjoy prom to the fullest and knew how much the other man would love the chocolate.
Something that had confused Butterfly to no end, they couldn't eat! Koutali could make food all day, and the humans loved it, but she didn't think he could make something for them! But the others were excited, so she figured there was no harm. It was their prom, after all, they should have as much fun as they could.
The excitement was contagious as everyone tried to prepare. Butterfly and Stitcher had been trying to help everyone dress their best. Stitcher told her it was a fancy affair and everyone should be dressed nicely. And she would make sure everyone had something lovely to wear, even her.
Bots had come in with ideas and pictures aplenty for them. It was a good thing there was a lot of time! The two were going to be very busy, even with some help. With all the clothes they had to make, they needed more fabric. Which meant sneaking out with the Walter Robotics credit card.
Butterfly had no idea how Stitcher got the card, but she followed along with her friend as they walked down the street. “And you’re sure it’s okay? We didn’t tell anyone we were leaving the manor.”
“Of course! They know we’re making all these clothes for prom. It should be expected, honestly.” Stitcher grinned widely and hooked her arm with Butterfly’s as they walked. “We’re going to have to be careful though. With just the two of us, we can’t carry that much.”
“Yeah, we probably should have asked Oddboddy or someone strong to come with us and help carry.”
Just then, Six pulled up beside them in the company car. “Girls! What do you think you’re doing? You shouldn’t be out here alone.”
Both women stop and look at each other. “We’re not alone. We’re out here together,” replied Butterfly, like it was the most obvious thing. Which, to her it was. They’d been told it wasn’t safe for some bots to wander alone, and she was afraid of the crowds of the city. That’s why they had gone together. She didn’t understand why Stitcher snickered and Peter hung his head and sighed.
“I meant without a Walter Worker or myself, Butterfly. Besides, what are you two doing out here?”
Stitcher beamed and held up the card. “We need more fabric for all the clothes we’re making!”
That made Six squeak and scramble out of the car. “You guys can’t just take the card. That’s for Walter expenses!” He exclaimed, nearly falling out on his face as he stumbled out of the car. “You can’t just use it whenever you feel like it!”
“But it’s for prom. We have to make sure everyone looks their best,” explained Butterfly, worried they were in trouble and holding her hands to her chest. That was important enough, right?
“Besides,” chirped Stitcher, “since you always take care of us, we thought we’d make you a new coat too. We know how much you like them.”
That was enough to have him cock his head curiously to the side. “Well, I suppose a new coat would be nice.” As he pondered that, Butterfly grinned and nodded.
“And if you’re with us, you can pick out what you want for it!” Supplied Butterfly. “We’ll make it however you’d like.”
His chest puffed out and he seemed to beam under the mask. “Alright! Let’s go! Come on ladies, get in.” He held open the door so they could climb in. The man was all but vibrating in the front seat as he drove off to the fabric store. “Do you think you could make it with a corset?” He asked as they pulled up and parked. “I just think they’re really neat.”
“Of course, we said anything, right, Butterfly?”
“Mhm! It’ll be the best coat!” Promised Butterfly as the girls got out of the car to head instead. It was daunting, there were people milling about and walls and walls of fabric and tools. She hesitated by the door a moment, afraid to go in.
Stitcher smiled and took her hand. “Come on, let’s see what we can find!”
And it was enough.
Walking through the store they stopped to look at everything from buttons and zippers to beads and thread. With Six with them and the car, they could get so much more stuff! And Butterfly wanted to get the best she could so everyone had the best clothes.
She lost track of time looking through the catalogs. At least until Stitcher noticed and threw them in a cart.
“Can you help Peter look for what he wants for a corset while I get the fabric cut?” It was an obvious distraction, but Butterfly agreed. It was for the bots at the manor after all.
“Peter! What colour should your corset be?” She asked, gently tugging his arm away from the cutting table to show him more fabric. Even if it was a ploy, she would take the coat seriously and make him something he loved. It was only fair for everything he did.
He was the one that fought and spent far more than she was worth to bring her home instead of with those green skinned men that scared her and cursed him to get him to stop bidding.
His finger tapped the bottom of his mask as Six thought the question over. Walking the aisles of fabric, he stopped to touch a few options. “I think I like these.” A dark wine red and a lighter one. “With some black trim?” He asked, turning to face her with his mask.
Looking it over, she beamed. “I think we can do that. Some black on the lapels and black cuffs I think would look really nice,” she agreed, taking them off the wall to be measured and cut.
While they walked over, he was so excited he hardly noticed just how much stuff Stitcher had gotten while his back was turned. And Butterfly kept asking him questions, so he didn’t see the total when Stitcher paid for everything.
The girls helped load up the trunk, and he held the door open for them again. Never let anyone believe his parents raised less than a gentleman. The ride home was light and they laughed and talked about all the clothes they had to make yet. And so many bots hadn’t asked yet! They weren’t sure how many bots wanted their help or not.
It was fun, at least until they got home and saw Annie in the doorway with a cellphone in hand and looking displeased. She met them there, tapping the phone against her arm and looking stern. Something that had Butterfly hiding behind Stitcher. “I just got a notification that there were possible fraudulent charges. Care to explain that?”
Peeking around Stitcher’s shoulder, Butterfly’s voice was quiet. “We needed more fabric for prom. There’s a lot of bots that need new clothes.”
“And we got you stuff for new curtains?” Tried Stitcher. Annie had mentioned she wanted to spruce up her sewing room.
Annie sighed and shook her head. You bots aren’t supposed to have access to the credit card.” She gave her son a hard look and, he ducked his head.
“Sorry, mom.” He scuffed his foot on the ground and watched his feet.
“Please, be careful in the future. Look for sales and better deals. Not just what’s pretty.” Shaking her head, Annie stepped back inside. There was still work for her to do.
And there was plenty of work for Butterfly and Stitcher! Six helped them bring everything to the lounge they had taken over as their sewing room. “Alright girls. Best of luck with everything. Don’t work too hard!” He teased as he walked out and down to the labs. He had work to do too.
Giggling, they got to work. Some things they knew what to do, but they went through catalogs they’d bought for ideas.
“We can make this one. Someone has to like white and red.”
“Even if it looks like a Valentine's dress?” Asked Stitcher with a grin as she flipped through the pages.
“Why not? They should be able to wear whatever they like,” pouted Butterfly. She just wanted them to have nice clothes and to be beautiful. Prom was a very special occasion.
Stitcher just laughed and got to work on a dress they needed to make. The two were happy to work in a comfortable silence.
Silence that was broken by a large robot with a Furby head. Oddbody came in, clutching a picture in hand, beaming as much as his little head would allow. "Are you helping us with clothes for prom?"
Butterfly smiled and nodded. "We are!" Standing up, she brushed off her dress. Oddbody was intimidating, but she knew how hard he tried not to be, so she wouldn't show that he made her nervous. It wasn't his fault he was huge, and she was small made of porcelain. "Did you have an idea of what you wanted?"
Nods and bends down to show them both the picture. A cute pink dress with little bears for pockets. "I really like this one. Do you think you can make it so it fits me?" He asked, somehow looking worried.
"Sure can!" Chirped Stitcher.
"Absolutely! We got the perfect fabric for this. It looks really soft," added Butterfly. "We just need to get your measurements."
Oddbody danced in place and only stopped when Stitcher gave him a look. Butterfly had flinched away. He pretended to cough and stood up straight. "Okay, can you reach?"
Looking up, she smiled a little. "No, but there's got to be a stepladder around here somewhere!" Butterfly was determined to do her very best for everybot in the manor. It wasn’t hard to find what she was looking for. It was just tall enough to reach his shoulders.
Trying to measure said shoulders, she leaned too far, and the stool went out from under her. Feeling it wobble Butterfly yelped and tried to get her balance back, dropping the tape. She saw Stitcher get up, trying to run over as the ground started to rush up to meet. Closing her eyes tightly, she waited for the worst, the sound of her chassis breaking.
Instead, large arms caught her, keeping her safe from a break. “Careful, tough stuff,” he gently teased as he sat her down, safely on her feet. “Can’t have you breakin' on us now. Too much work to do,” he chuckled with a wink.
Checking herself over, Butterfly deflated a little when she wasn’t broken. “Thank you, Oddbody. Sorry about that. Just a few more things, and we can get started! I promise it’ll be perfect!”
This time Stitcher stood on the stool, and Butterfly measured from the ground. Once that was done, and another promise they could make it big enough for him, the duo waved Oddbody off and got back to work.
Laying out the fabric to Oddbody’s skirt, the girls almost missed Sparky skipping into the room.
“Hello! Someone said you agreed to make prom dresses?” She asked, startling poor Butterfly.
Stitcher just sighed with a small smile and nodded. “That’s right! Even got some new fabric so we can make all kinds of stuff!”
Sparky beamed at that but, tugged at her dress. “I’m not real sure what I want, though. Does it have to be real fancy?” When Butterfly waved her over, she sat down on the floor with her.
“I don’t think so. I’ve just been making sure people have dresses they like. I think that’s more the point.”
While Stitcher kept sewing, Butterfly went over options with Sparky. “What about this one?” She showed off a pink dress with lots of ruffles.
Sparky smiled politely. “Uh. It’s pretty, but can we keep looking?” she asked, trying not to make a face.
Laughing, Butterfly nodded and turned the page. “No big dresses. Got it.” They could find something simple for her. It was about what she wanted after all. A few catalogs later, she pointed at another one. A simpler green dress that just hit the knee. “What do you think?”
Looking it over, she squealed in excitement. “It’s so cute! I love it!” She threw her arms around Butterfly and hugged her tightly.
Patting her shoulder awkwardly, Butterfly smiled. “I’m glad. Why don’t we get you measured and Stitcher and I can get started?” Once Sparky let her go, she pulled herself to her feet and grabbed a measuring tape again. At least this time she didn’t have to worry about falling.
Stitcher grabbed her own tape and between the two of them, made quick work of getting Sparky’s measurements. Only, they’d also managed to wrap her up in the tape as well. Trying to untangle her, Sparky yelped and fell face first into a pile of fabric.
The girls looked at each other.
“At least she fell on something soft?” Tried Stitcher.
Giggling, they tried to get poor Sparky free. At least she was a good sport about it once she was free to skip back to whatever she did during the day. Butterfly didn’t know much about most of the bots.
It was quiet for a while. Just the sound of rustling fabric and scissors clipping away. It was Butterfly’s favourite part. Just calm and peaceful quiet. There was nothing dangerous about making clothes, and everyone always seemed to love them.
Jackdaw came in after a while his voice was low as he talked with Stitcher at first. Butterfly could hardly hear him. But she giggled when he made Stitcher blush.
Butterfly smiled and let them talk for a while. It wasn’t her business.
Eventually, Stitcher laid a hand on her arm. “Butterfly, help me out. Jackdaw doesn’t know what he wants and just says anything’s fine. But I need ideas so he’s dressed nice.”
Looking sheepish, he tried to smile. “I just want to match Stitcher,” he whispered. “Couples are supposed to match.” He gave Stitcher a found look when she got embarrassed.
Watching them, Butterfly giggled. They were adorable. But at the request, she hummed and curled a finger under her chin. They hadn’t thought about dresses for themselves yet, but she’d need to think of something that would work for them both. Picking up one of the books, she glanced through it before she was struck with an idea. Snapping her fingers, she beamed at them both. “Blue and silver,” she said with a grin. “A blue shirt with lace for sleeves. And a silver vest. It’d be really pretty and you’ll both look really good in dark blues!”
Jackdaw beamed. “That sounds nice. I’d like that,” he said with his voice as quiet as always. Something special for a special day. Reaching for Stitcher’s hand, he squeezed it gently before standing up. “Thank you.”
“I can work on it tonight, I think it might be late enough for a break,” suggested Butterfly, giving her friend a knowing look.
Stitcher looked away at first but hadn’t let go of Jackdaw’s hand. “I guess. Just a little one, though. We have a lot of work to do still,” she finally agreed. Standing up, she followed Jackdaw out of the room, leaving Butterfly alone.
Sewing in peace, Butterfly turned the key on her back three times and quietly hummed along. In moments like this, things felt alright. She didn’t like to be alone too long, but for a while, to just sit and listen to her music box was nice as she continued to sew.
Still humming along, she didn’t notice Koutali right away. How he stepped in with an open magazine. Or how he stopped a moment to watch her hum away to her own music while she worked. “Butterfly, sweetheart?”
The humming stopped, and she looked up with a smile. “Hello! Are you here for something to wear to prom?” She asked, putting the fabric to the side.
“I am. If that’s alright?” He smiled when she nodded. “Wonderful! I was thumbing through this while I was waiting on the oven.” Coming over, he knelt down next to her to be more at her level. Green wrapped around like scarves and hung down their legs with dashing green pants.
“This looks great. I think I can manage this alright. I just need to get your measurements, and I can get this started.” She nearly went cross eyed when he quickly handed her a piece of paper.
“Already know them,” he proudly explained. “You’re not the only one that wants to always look their best,” he teased with a wink as she took the paper. “Thank you so much. But I need to get back to the oven before it burns. I’ve total faith in you.” Waving, he stepped out and was gone.
Tucking everything away, she hardly had time to pick up a needle and thread again before Siren stepped into the room. Smiling politely as ever, she waved her over. “Hello. Did you find a dress you liked?”
“I did, but it might be too much?” She suggested as she walked over to show her a picture. Layers and a jacket. Blue with gold trim and embellishments. “And my fins might make it hard,” she added, wiggling her back fins for effect.
Butterfly couldn’t help but notice how much it reminded her of Captain’s coat, and she grinned. It was sweet. This dress had to be perfect. At the worry, she smiled and shook her head. “Don’t worry. It’ll take some adjustments, but I know I can make it work. Just let me get my tape measure.”
Which was somewhere in the piles of fabric. She’d already made a mess of the room trying to stay organized. When she finally found it, she beamed and stood up, waving for Siren to do the same. It was a lot of measuring, and she struggled with the fins, but she was determined to make this dress work!
After that, Butterfly thought to find Captain himself and see what he wanted to wear. Though, after the last time, she made him something, she wasn’t sure he would want her to make him anything else.
She found him in a sitting room with a thick cigar between his teeth. She didn’t think he smoked or that any of the bots even could. All the same, she stepped over and waved.
Arching a brow, he was at least kind enough to put it out when she came in. “Can I help you?” He asked in a gruff voice, though he looked more curious than angry, that helped.
“Everyone is getting new clothes for prom. I wanted to know if you wanted Stitcher and I to make you anything?” She offered, fidgeting with her hands a little. Going out and talking to someone was a lot harder than when they came to her.
He grumped a little and shook his head. “I’ve got my navy blues to wear.” When she looked confused, he sighed and slumped in his seat. “It’s a military dress uniform,” he explained. “What I’m supposed to wear to events and that.”
“Oh,” she said softly, trying not to look put off. Maybe he was still mad about the coat? But then he’d say something, right? Besides, one less outfit was good, it was only the two of them after all. “Okay! Have fun at prom, Captain!” Waving him off she let him finish his cigar in peace.
It had been a long day of trying to get people in to pick out clothes, but Butterfly found herself still far too excited to sleep. There was so much to sew! And so many ideas to make. If she wasn’t going to sleep anyway, she figured she may as well use that time to keep working and make sure everything was ready on time.
In the early hours, she wanted to start on Jackdaw’s shirt, but first, she needed to practice her lace. It had been a very long time. It probably would have been smarter to use premade lace, she thought, but she wanted it nice for him. If only her fingers remembered what to do! Instead of lace, her fingers became hopelessly tangled in the dark thread as it dug between her joints. While she was glad she couldn’t feel pain, her fingers were too delicate to rip through the thread without damage. She was stuck.
Shiver came in early before much of the manor was awake. Mostly drawn by the sound of humming. Seeing Butterfly sitting on the floor and trying to calm herself down, she smiled. Stepping over, she sat down in front of her and held out her hands.
Seeing a friendly face helped and Butterfly smiled a little. “Thank you,” she said quietly, holding out her hands for Shiver.
Silently, Shiver sat with Butterfly, carefully untangling the thread and gently easing it out of her joints. It took a while, but soon she’d freed Butterfly from her own lace trap.
“Thank you again, Shiver. I’d been stuck a while.” Slowly, Butterfly worked out her fingers making sure she could bend them still. It’d be horrible if she couldn’t sew anymore. Speaking of sewing, “did you have an idea for a prom dress?”
Ducking her head a little, Shiver shook her head.
“That’s alright. We have lots of things to look at to pick and get ideas from.” Humming softly, she looked for the right catalog. She’d seen something she thought she would like before. “Ah!, what do you think?” A purple dress that almost looked like silk scarves flowing around her.
Leaning over a little, Shiver beamed and ran a finger over the dress. She looked up at Butterfly and nodded.
And Butterfly beamed right back at how excited she looked. “Perfect! Let’s get you measured and I can get started!”
Getting up and started was easy, but every time she got close to Shiver, she flinched. Even when she closed her eyes not to see, she was tense.
Humming softly, Butterfly tilted her head. This wasn’t going to work. There had to be something she could do to help her feel better.
“Okay. I’m going to measure your shoulders, okay? Over your back.” She waited until Shiver nodded before holding up the tap against her plating. This time it wasn’t so bad. Each measurement, she explained before touching her, and that helped. Slowly, Shiver relaxed. It was a lot easier after that.
Stitcher joined her sometime after. “Sorry, I lost track of time.” Sitting down, she picked up a dress to work on. There was already a lot to do and still more bots likely to want dresses.
Looking up at her, working on the lace again, this time she would use premade lace, Butterfly smiled. “It’s okay. You two should spend time together. That’s what couples do.”
“I. I guess so yeah, but I shouldn’t leave you by yourself when we have so much to do. It’s not that long until prom.” When Butterfly just shrugged, she sighed. She was fine with working in silence for a while.
But after a while, she broke it. “So, are you going with anyone?”
It took Butterfly a moment to understand the question and she tilted her head. “No? I’m not seeing anyone.” You didn’t have to go with someone to prom, did you? It had never occurred to her that prom was only for couples. Weren’t some of the other bots going single too?
Stitcher laughed and shook her head when she saw how worried Butterfly was. “It’s fine. You don’t need to have a date. But a lot of people do. I figured someone would have asked you by now.”
“I guess I’ve been too busy.” Butterfly tried to laugh it off. In truth, she was glad no one had asked. She had no interest in dating anyone at the manor. In truth, she’d never given dating much thought. She was never good enough before. She couldn’t see that changing now, and she was fine with that.
Sometime later, Demo stepped in her head down and wringing her hands. She looked like she was fighting the urge to run away.
“Time to get a dress for prom?” Asked Stitcher, frowning when she shrank back. But after a moment, she nodded.
“If you don’t know what you want, you can look through some books we have and see if you like anything,” offered Butterfly, holding up a catalog for Demo.
The three sit together and go through the books for a while. Demo stops to linger on a few dresses but always shook her head when prompted on choice. Something was missing, but they didn’t know what.
Eventually, Butterfly taps on a blue dress with sheer hangs instead of sleeves. “What do you think about this one?” she asked, watching Demo’s face.
She paused longer at this one before stammering out and nodding. “Y-yes, pl. Yes, please.” She at least held still for measuring but flinched away if they got too close to her stomach. They let her measure there.
Their list of clothes was piling up fast.
“Stitcher!”
Said bot jumped when Butterfly suddenly blurted out her name. “Um, yes? I’m here.”
“Stitcher! We haven’t started your dress yet or picked one out. You need a dress to match Jackdaw,” worried Butterfly, leaning over their ever growing pile of clothes.
Looking at her friend, Stitcher beamed. “It’s okay, you’ve been really busy, so I just started on my own.” She held up a dark blue vest that matched Jackdaw’s shirt. “I’m alright. Have you started on yours yet?” When Butterfly ducked her head, half hiding behind Koutali’s train, she laughed. “Uh huh. Come on, let’s take a break and at least pick something out for you.”
Half leaning on each other, they look through pages upon pages until they find the perfect dress. A purple one that tied on the shoulder with layers and layers of tulle. Butterfly cooed and gushed over it while Stitcher marked the page so they could find it later.
“Once I get everyone’s clothes done I can get started on it.”
Stitcher gave her a knowing look but said nothing about it. Picking up the vest, she got back to work on her dress.
Next was Nox, stepping in and looking distraught. Or at least Butterfly thought he was. “It’s not fair. My plating is my clothes so I can’t just change like everyone else,” he lamented, flopping down on the ground next to the girls. “You’re making all these lovely clothes for everyone, and I’ll be in the same suit as every day.”
When he made to dramatically lean on Butterfly, he fell. Or so it looked to Butterfly, who missed Stitcher pushing him off before he got too close. It was obvious that he was trying to guilt Butterfly for not being able to make him something.
Unfortunately, it was obvious to everyone but Butterfly. It really wasn’t fair. Everyone deserved to look nice for prom. Wasn’t that the point? Gently tapping her chin, she tried to think of something she could do to try and make it fair.
Suddenly.
“Your hat and a tie!” she suddenly exclaimed. Digging through all the fabric, she tried to find a good colour for him.
Half laying on the floor, he was glaring at Stitcher before Butterfly caught him off guard, genuinely surprised she had managed to find something for him. When she bent down to measure his hat he sat perfectly still.
“I’ll spruce up your hat and make a matching tie. It won’t be as much as everyone else, but you can still be dressed nice and look your best!” Proud of herself she beamed.
Blinking once then twice, Nox scrambled to his feet. “Uh, thanks,” he stammered and shot Stitcher a dirty look for the smug one she gave him. Patting Butterfly on the head, he hastily made his escape.
Pretend came only moments after, holding a picture in hand. Smiling a little, she held the photo protectively as Stitcher came over to see.
“This is really pretty! We can do this, right?” she asked, waving Butterfly over to see a long black dress with intricate black and red stitching. It was going to be a lot of work.
But she nodded. There was a lot to do, but they still had plenty of time to get it all done. She just had to stay focused. Everyone needed to look their best for prom.
And focus she did. Working nearly non-stop, Butterfly hardly stopped for more than water breaks. Even when Stitcher reminded her to rest, she simply waved her off and told her she was fine. Sewing she could do. It was relaxing and fun, and she wanted everyone to have the best. It was the best she could do.
But after a few days and more clothes piling up, she was starting to struggle. Lots of missed stitches, and at one point, she’d managed to sew her sleeve into the dress. She was frustrated and grumbled about wasted time as she pulled out each stitch.
It didn’t come to a head until some time later when she was proudly holding up Sparky’s dress. It was finally done, and she was excited to show her. At least until she saw what she had done. In her state, she had sewn the seams inside out. Staring at the dress, oil beaded at the corner of her eyes. Done, but done wrong. Sniffling, she tried to hide as she blindly looked for her stitch ripper.
Only Stitcher caught the oil on her cheeks. “Butterfly? What’s wrong?” When Butterfly shook her head, trying to wipe away the tears, she sighed. “Butterfly, you can’t cry and tell me nothing’s wrong.”
Jackdaw noticed first, carefully stepping over to take the dress. “It’s okay. You can fix it.” Flinches when she sobbed.
“Alright, you’ve been up too long,” gently chided Stitcher, helping Butterfly to her feet with Jackdaw on her other side. “Let’s get you to bed, sweetheart. You need to rest.” She shushed any protest Butterfly tried to give and the couple guided Butterfly to her room to rest. Stitcher refused to leave until she was actually going to go to bed and her patchwork teddy in place.
While she went to bed, it wasn’t for long. There was still far too much work to do to stop now! She wanted everyone to look their best. She knew how important it was to look your best when it mattered.
Come morning, Arborus joined her covered in mud and trying to wipe his hands clean.
Seeing him, Butterfly greeted him cheerful as ever. “Good morning! Do you want clothes for prom too?”
,
A small hesitation and he nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Was suggested to come here.” He still didn’t completely enter the room.
“Alright. Well, do you know what you want to wear, Arborus?” She tried, waving him into the room.
Wringing his hands, he looked around the room full of brightly coloured fabrics and then back down at himself. He shook his head. “Never had a reason to dress up before.”
“That’s alright! I’ve got a lot of pages we can look through. I’m sure we can find you something dashing. Come here.” When he still wouldn’t come to sit she finally noticed he was worrying about his dirty work clothes. Humming softly, she found a large bolt of unused cloth and laid it out next to her. “There, will that be alright?”
A small nod and he carefully walked over to sit cross legged next to her. He let her lean over so they could both look it over.
It took some time to find something, and Butterfly had to explain a lot of different kinds of clothing. It was all pretty new to Arborus, but she was patient. Everyone deserved their best.
After a long while, he tapped on a detailed red vest. “I like the colour of this one.”
Butterfly looked around, trying to find a matching fabric. It wasn’t the same design, but she beamed when he nodded to agree with it. “Perfect! I can make that. Maybe with a white shirt and red cuffs?” she offered.
A small smile, and he nodded. “I like that sound of that,” he easily agreed. “Thank you.”
“It’ll look nice with your choker,” she praised, gently guiding him back up to his feet. She still had measurements to take!
Careful to stay on the cloth and keep the rest of the room clean, Arborus stood perfectly still while she happily buzzed around him with the tape measure. As she worked, his curiosity got the better of him. “What is prom?”
Butterfly stopped measuring tape in hand to sit back and look up at him a moment, gears turning in her porcelain head. "I have no idea. They just said we get to dress nice, and I want everyone to look their best!" Everyone had been talking about prom, but no one had actually said what it was.
He gave a thoughtful hum as he thought it over. “It must be nice then, right?” He asked as she started to measure again.
A single nod to agree. “To dress this nice like going out to a theatre or somewhere special. I’m really excited to see what it is.” It had to be amazing if everyone needed to dress so well, she could only imagine!
After that, Arborus relaxed. It was going to be nice.
A few more bots filtered in and out in the coming days for outfits, some simple, some outrageous. Butterfly loved every one of them. As they started to get finished, it was time to try them on and make alterations. Some were easier than others. A bird with leg warmers needed sock glue to keep them up.
Another needed help actually getting into the dress. She kept tangling herself in the different pieces trying to keep her solar panels exposed. Butterfly wasn’t sure what she needed them for it would be dark out, but it was what she wanted and she made sure she got it.
Others were easier. Like Oddbody. A little shorter than planned but he loved it all the same. He giggled to himself and tiptoed around the room, and spun like a ballerina. Or at least as much as he could manage. Despite his size, he was graceful.
Nox was obsessed with himself and could hardly look away from the mirror. Or maybe it was just the hat. She’d done it up with a bit of lace and added a few flowers. His head turned this way and that, and he beamed in the mirror. “You do good work. Didn’t think this hat could look any better,” he praised.
After chasing out Nox, came Sparky who swished her skirt and giggled excitedly. Grabbing Butterfly’s hands, she tried to pull her around the room and dance. “This is beautiful! I can't wait for prom.”
Butterfly wriggled free and folded them in front of her. “I’m glad you love it so much! Sorry, it’s not a good idea for me to dance around. I might crack again.”
Sparky tilted her head to the side and gives her a funny look, but says nothing on it. “Okay. Thank you again! I love it!” Waving her off she stepped out to put the dress away.
Butterfly actually had to chase poor Arborus down for a fitting. He was far more interested in tending the garden. There was always work to do.
Finally tugging him in, she helped him adjust the vest and got to work making sure everything was perfectly in place. Making sure the bands on his sleeves were where she wanted them to set. Which was difficult when Arbotus moved and fidgeted in the mirror. “It’s fine. You look good, Arborus.”
Most of the clothes were fine, just some minor things here or there, but some were harder.
Demo couldn’t help but pace and fidget with her dress, pulling the fabric away from her stomach.
Something that worried Butterfly. While they couldn’t feel, maybe it was too tight? “Demo, are you alright?” she softly asked, trying to get her to stand still.
The other bot froze and stalled a moment. “It’s fine. Don’t worry. It’s a really pretty dress.” She was halting and wouldn’t look at Butterfly.
“If you don’t like your dress, I can try to make you another one,” she offered. There really wasn’t time to make a new dress. She still had her own to worry about. But she supposed she could just wear an old dress if it made Demo more comfortable. Not that she wanted to. Butterfly wanted to look nice like everyone else.
“No. No. It’s just,” a long pause, “I can’t get to my power button or charger,” she finally admitted, shoulders slumping.
It took Butterfly a moment, but she smiled when she understood. Being a robot meant parts and models were very rarely the same. “Don’t worry, I can fix that.” Helping Demo out of the dress, she measured and showed her where she’d open it up for her so it would be safer.
Once Demo felt better she sent her on her way. She was up most of the night making adjustments and finishing others.
By morning streamers and balloons were being brought through the manor and the other bots were happily chatting away as they helped set everything up with the Walter Workers help. It was exciting! But there was too much work left for Butterfly to go exploring. So she stayed with Stitcher to keep working.
“I hope everyone will like their clothes. Everyone seems happy so far.”
“I’m sure they will. Jackdaw was glowing when I showed him his shirt and vest,” hummed Stitcher as she kept her eyes focused on her work.
Butterfly beamed proudly. It was a beautiful choice. Even if she couldn’t make the lace as she’d hoped. They were going to look great together. “You two are really happy. It’s cute,” remarked Butterfly softly.
Stitcher flustered at that and hid behind the fluffy purple skirt she was working on. “Th-thanks,” she sheepishly mumbled behind the fabric.
She didn’t remember who that one was for. They may have taken on too much work if she’d forgotten someone. Butterfly felt lucky to have a friend with her to help.
As the time grew ever closer, so did the excitement in the manor. Bots were nearly buzzing around, talking and planning what to do. More and more couples were popping up and groups wanting to go together. Trying to get clothes to match without too much work was almost too much work in itself, but the girls were doing their best. Everyone should look their best.
As Butterfly was finishing up the last dress, it dawned on her suddenly. She’d put all this work in for everyone but hadn’t even started on her own! Fingers tangled in soft blue tulle, she held back tears.
Something Stitcher quickly noticed and worried about. “Butterfly, what’s wrong?” she asked, moving to sit next to her.
“I was so worried about everyone’s dress, I forgot about mine. I thought I was going to have time,” softly whined Butterfly, trying not to get oil on the dress in her hands. It was her own fault, but it still felt very unfair to her.
Stitcher sighed and handed her a handkerchief with a small smile. “I noticed that. But you were so excited about how happy everyone was. Don’t worry, you may have forgotten, but I didn’t.” Getting up, while Butterfly dried her face, she pulled out a familiar purple dress with layers of tulle and butterflies going up the chest to the tied shoulder. “I took a few liberties, I hope that’s okay?”
Clutching Stitcher’s handkerchief to her chest, Butterfly burst into tears when she saw the dress.
Tilting her head a little Stitcher grinned. “Is it that bad?” she asked, trying to laugh it off.
Shaking her head, Butterfly tried to calm down. “No. No. I-It’s beautiful. Thank you so much, Stitcher. It’s better than in the book,” she praised, still sniffling.
The grin grew wider at that. “Just wait until you see what Jackdaw made you.”
That made her worry a little. The dress was lovely, but they shouldn’t have put so much effort into her. “You guys didn’t have to,” she mumbled as Stitcher gently pulled her to her feet.
“Sure we did. You’ve worked so hard to make sure everyone has something nice to wear,” Stitcher reminded her while she helped Butterfly into the dress. “It’s only right you have something beautiful to wear too.”
“You said everyone should look their best,” whispered Jackdaw as he came into the room. Stepping to her other side, he placed a matching crown of butterfly wings, carefully, on her head over the red curls.
Looking in the mirror, Butterfly froze as she looked everything over. It was stunning. She was very lucky to have friends that cared about her. It made her cry harder.
Which worried Jackdaw, and he looked to Stitcher with a concerned look.
She just shook her head with a smile and tried to comfort Butterfly until she calmed down.
All their hard work paid off, and it was finally prom night! While getting ready, Siren stepped into the room with an embarrassed smile. So excited her fins were stimming too much to get dressed.
Butterfly laughed gently and took the dress to help her get ready. “I’m glad you’re so happy. Let’s see if we can't wrangle these excited fins.” Getting behind Siren, Butterfly tried to help with the first layer, only to be smacked by a metal fin with a clang. In a panic, she covered her face.
Hearing the sound, Siren quickly spun around in a panic. “Ah, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, let me see.” She gently reached for Butterfly’s face.
“No, no. It’s okay. I’m fine.” She gently waved Siren off, not moving a hand until she was turned around again. Butterfly didn’t want to know if she was more broken. She couldn’t handle that, not now.
But at least it was enough to calm Siren enough to get into her dress and coat. Butterfly makes sure it sets just right and guided her look in the mirror. She laughed when Siren’s fins came alive again, vibrating happily.
Sitting her down, she helped pile up Siren’s hair into two buns and slip in hair clips. Little goggles and anchors hanging from her hair. “You’re really pretty Siren,” she praised, making sure everything was perfect.
Once alone, she dared to look in a mirror expecting to see a new crack along with the gold and silver holding her face together. When nothing was different, she sighed in relief. Only the crack long her cheek was left, she’d learned to at least live with that.
Changing into her own dress, she took her time to move this way and that, enjoying how the skirt fluttered around her. Putting the crown on was a bit of a challenge. She had to take out the victory curls and let them hang down around her face. But once she did, she beamed brightly. It was a beautiful piece.
While she’s gushing about herself in the mirror she almost missed Nox sticking his head into the room. “Hurry up! You’re already late.” He smirked widely, “You wouldn’t want to miss all the fun, would you?”
She squeaked and quickly finished up as he rushed down the hall laughing. She wasn’t going to miss prom!
Rushing down the halls, she was the last bot to the ballroom. It wasn’t until she made it to the grand doorway that she stopped to question the choice of room.
Stepping inside, it was loud. White and Blue decorations were all over the room, from balloons and streamers to glitter and confetti. There were tables along the walls with shining silver toppers glistening in the dim light of the ballroom. The room was crowded as bots mingled with glasses in hand or gawked at the chocolate fountain. Most of them couldn’t eat but were excited for it nonetheless. As a rare treat, punch was being served alongside water. It was a night for them after all.
But more than that, fast music was playing. Filling the room with noise. One of the Walter Workers had taken up a small booth and played music for them. Most of the ballroom floor had been left untouched, save a few stray balloons that had found their way to the ceiling. Robots were moving to the music and laughing as they danced together without a care in the world.
Looking around, Butterfly couldn’t help but get nervous. There was a lot going on for her. Trying to back away from the noise, she bumped into someone. “Ah, sorry.”
Captain grunted and helped her right herself again. He was wearing the coat she’d made him. He still needed his tail to keep it from dragging on the floor, and he had the sleeves rolled up to keep his hands, mostly, uncovered.
Which Butterfly found confusing. “I thought you said you had to wear your uniform,” she asked, nodding to the coat.
He looked away and cleared his throat. “It’s my favourite coat.”
She beamed brightly at that. It was good to know he liked it so much, even when she’d messed it up so much.
Before she could try to talk to him, Harim came over and gently tugged his arm. “Come on. You promised you’d teach me to dance! Everyone’s having so much fun.” Seeing Butterfly, he waved politely but still tugged his husband away to try and dance the night away.
Alone again, Butterfly tried to relax and look around again. Everyone looked so happy. People were happily dancing on the dancefloor while there were others who milled about with punch and water, laughing and joking.
If she stayed away from the dancefloor it would be fine. Nothing bad could happen as a wallflower, could it? Just seeing everyone happy was enough.
After a while of bot watching, she made to go to the refreshments table and get a drink of water. She found Arborus there, looking just as out of place as she felt. Waving a little, she smiled sheepishly.
“Guess it isn’t much like the theatre, is it?” She commented, looking around as more and more bots went to the dancefloor. Seemed everyone else wanted to dance the night away.
Arborus shook his head, fidgeting a little with his vest. “It’s loud,” he said, just over the sound of the music that filled the room.
A small nod. “Yeah, it’s not what I was expecting with all the clothes I made. But I guess you can dance in about anything.”
For a little while, they stood and watched the crowd. The room was warm and full of laughter. She tried to take comfort in it. At least until Stitcher and Jackdaw joined them.
“This has been amazing,” gushed Stitcher as Jackdaw got them drinks. Holding up her wrist, she showed off the blue and nearly silver white flowers Jackdaw had carefully placed on her arm before the dance.
Butterfly cooed softly at it and beamed. She was happy Stitcher had found someone to care for her.
“Everyone’s having a blast. And I think I’ve about taught Jackdaw how to dance.”
Said bot softly whined, but smiled fondly. He hadn’t fallen over, entirely. “I’m getting there. I should have practiced before.”
“You’re going just fine,” she promised, sipping at her water.
“That sounds like a lot of fun!” She cheered, trying to pretend like the dancefloor didn’t feel like a death sentence. No point ruining their fun, so she just smiled and encouraged them to keep having fun.
“Why don’t you dance with us?” Offered Stitcher as they finished their drinks. “I can teach you too if you’re nervous?”
“I’m okay,” she tried. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt your time with Jackdaw. You two have fun.”
Stitcher gently grabbed Butterfly's hand, trying to tug her to the floor. “Come on, it’s a lot of fun. You can’t just sit here alone all night.”
Tensing, Butterfly shook her head. Gently, she tugged her arm back. “I’m pretty tired after making all those dresses and suits. I think I’ll just watch for a while. I’m okay.”
Though she frowned, Stitcher seemed to understand enough to let go and let Butterfly safely tuck her arms behind her. “Alright. Just try to have some fun, alright? Prom is for you too.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Butterfly let herself relax again. She turned around to apologize to Arborus, she hadn’t been trying to ignore him. But he was gone. Something she had expected, it was a lot. He probably went to find a quiet corner she thought.
At least it was nice to see everyone so happy. It seemed everyone had let loose to have the best time.
Captain was true to his word, teaching Harim to dance. Or at least doing his best. It seemed he was mostly holding Harim up as they moved around the dancefloor.
Stitcher was having better luck with Jackdaw. He was still fumbling a little, but he was smiling as he held onto her. And she was laughing sweetly as he guided her around the room.
In some places, single bots were taking over part of the floor. Shiver had turned a ballet routine into something more modern as she spun and pranced around like a feather.
Oddbody on the other hand, was breakdancing and causing a scene with loud cheers and clapping as he moved in a way Butterfly didn’t think he could.
It was nice to see how excited everyone was, and she smiled warmly at that. Couples and groups were moving about dancing and laughing. It was worth the work.
Smiling a bit, she opted to get herself a glass of punch. She deserved a nice treat, and she hoped it would help her nerves.
Pouring herself a glass, she noticed Nox nearby, ducked behind the chocolate fountain and messing with it. Tilting her head slightly, she stepped closer. “Nox? Is everything alright?” She asked softly.
He looked up at her and grinned a wide grin. “Peachy. Things are about to get real exciting around here.” Not getting up, he nodded to Koutali on the other side of the fountain. He was covering food in chocolate. Butterfly didn’t even know there was other food there, but he was grinning widely as the chocolate all but dripped off his plate.
Before she can ask what he meant, the machine started to shake and whir loudly. “Um?”
It caught the other’s attention too. Though no one more than Koutali as he looked around for the cause. Others came closer to see what was happening. Though when Koutali saw Nox, he glowered. “Nox! What did you-”
SPLAT
Overpowered, the fountain sprayed chocolate everywhere. Decorations were destroyed and thick chocolate covered light coloured balloons and banners. Everyone nearby had been covered as well. Dresses and suits ruined in the explosion.
Even the hat and tie Butterfly had made for Nox hadn’t survived the blast. Covered in chocolate, he loudly cackled in delight.
Koutali screamed and chased Nox around the fountain, nearly knocking poor Butterfly off her feet. Luckily for her, Oddbody was close enough to catch her again.
“Thank you,” she muttered, still in shock at what had happened. They watched as Koutali caught up with the trouble maker and shoved his head into the fountain, making more chocolate splatter over everyone that was too close.
By now, most bots were laughing at them. And a few Walter Worker chaperones were rushing in to try and pull them apart. Their white uniforms covered in chocolate as the two fought and struggled.
She wanted to cry. As much as she wanted to be happy everyone was happy. Seeing all of her work covered in chocolate was heartbreaking. And the laughter was too loud for an already nervous Butterfly.
Oddbody at least tried to help. He found her a clean towel to try and clean herself off with. “Hey, at least we all smell pretty good now,” he tried, trying to cheer her up.
At least it wiped easily off her plating, but her dress was ruined. The tulle would never be free of chocolate, at least not without ruining it. All the same, she smiled for Oddbody. “Thank you. I’m going to go change now.”
Trudging off, she tried her best not to cry. Everyone else seemed to be having fun, and that was what was important. Not the clothes, or the work that went into them. Besides, it wasn’t like she could dance with them anyway. So leaving suited her just fine. At least for a brief while, she could enjoy being with everyone.
Once safely in her room, she carefully peeled out of the purple and chocolate dress and finished cleaning up. At least the crown was alright. That she could clean and keep safe. She changed into an old dress, black with red butterflies swarming up from the bottom. It helped her feel a little better.
When she felt overwhelmed, she went to the garden. Slipping on some heels, she fixed up her hair and stepped out of the manor.
Arborus was probably still in the ballroom having fun, but being outside in the garden helped. It was quiet there, safe from all the hustle and bustle of the manor, and Arborus never made her talk but always listened when she did.
She was surprised to see Arborus sitting outside his little shed toying with his choker, rolling the bead between his thumb and finger. He looked nervous.
“Arborus?” She spoke softly as she came down the path to stand in front of him. “Are you alright?”
He didn’t look up, still playing with the green bead. “No one told me it was a dance,” he said after a moment. He was still in the clothes she’d made him for it, vest still perfectly buttoned.
Butterfly smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t know either. It was a surprise for me too. I guess everyone just assumed we knew.” Carefully, she sat on a low wall. “But it’s not safe for me to get in crowds like that. I’d probably break to pieces,” she giggled. In truth, it terrified her greatly. They couldn’t put her back together as her creator had. Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers over the chip on her cheek. He never got around to fixing it, and now he never could. That’s why she tried to stay out of the way.
Arborus looked up at her still looking upset. There had been so many people, and it was loud. Neither of them liked loud crowds, she understood. “Momma never taught me how to dance.” He curled in tighter on himself.
That made Butterfly smile. “I can’t dance like they were. It’s too fast. But I can do some slow dancing. Do you want me to teach you?” She offered, hopping down from her little perch. Too many people and fast movements were dangerous. But a waltz was slow and easy. And she trusted Arborus to be careful not to break her. And she wanted to make sure everyone had a good time, that meant him too.
More silence while he watched Butterfly offer a hand. He was always nervous, but she never pushed an issue. After a moment, he took her hand. He didn’t use her help to stand, but it was polite. “Okay.”
She beamed up at him and hoped it would make him feel better. “It’s easy, I promise. First, you put this hand here and,” holding one hand in her’s, she wrapped his other arm around her, “this one holds your dance partner.”
He followed her lead, hand pressed against her back. Watching his hands, he looked to her face again. Silently asking for the next instructions.
“So when you dance with a girl, you’re supposed to lead. You take a step forward.” Tugging him gently, she stepped back and he followed. “Right! And then you bring your other foot forward and to the side.” Again, she guided his feet with hers. “You’re doing great! Just count as you step. One two three, one two three.”
Following her lead, Arborus carefully spun them around the grounds just outside his garden. He fumbled but was careful not to step on her and held her securely so she wouldn’t fall and get hurt. As he got better, he smiled.
Proud as punch, Butterfly happily spun around the garden with him. It was safe and quiet here. Nothing was too loud and she didn’t have to fear breaking. She enjoyed making clothes for everyone, but this was better than prom.