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“Just a little more… And voila!” Noelle took a step back from her work with a smile big enough to be reassuring, and Ralsei took in a deep, tentative breath. Picking up her handheld mirror from her desk, Noelle lifted it to Ralsei’s face, beaming as she awaited the other girl’s verdict.
Slowly, Ralsei lifted a hand to her cheek. The fluff made it difficult to apply too much of anything, but Noelle had worked wonders with her eyes. Eyelids glimmering with the glitter of a soft blue eyeshadow, Ralsei drank in her new look. It was a little strange being absent of the typical pink, but Noelle said the contrast was pretty– and she really had to agree.
“I’ll take that as a sign I’m on the right track,” Noelle giggled, approaching once again with a mascara wand in-hand and a teasing wink.
Still transfixed, Ralsei nodded, watching her reflection copy the movement. She tilted her neck when Noelle got closer, keeping her eyes dutifully open despite the urge to flinch when the wand brushed her eyelashes.
“Okay, now blink as many times as you can!” Noelle encouraged.
Surprised, Ralsei did exactly that. The resistance was new– the few times she’d applied mascara before had been cautious and slow, moving her hand more than her eyelashes out of worry she’d end up poking herself in the eye. Nevertheless, Noelle’s strategy seemed to work just fine, separating the eyelashes in dark clusters, longer even than usual.
“You’re really good at this,” she complimented quietly, offering the other girl a shy smile of her own. “Do you practise often?”
“On myself? A little,” tucking a strand of hair over her shoulder, Noelle busied herself with her own eyes, impressively quick and efficient. “Makeup’s always been more of Catti’s thing, though. I’ve tried picking up a few tricks, but, well… Going goth isn’t exactly a Noelle thing to do, huh?”
“I don’t know,” Ralsei tilted her head consideringly, watching Noelle work. “Don’t you think a Noelle thing should be whatever Noelle wants it to be?”
At that, Noelle’s hand slipped, catching the wand under her eyebrow and leaving a dark, splotchy smear. Ralsei cringed, making to apologise, only for Noelle to speak first. “Pass me the wipes please?” She asked with a tinkling laugh. It reminded Ralsei of jingle bells. The sound put her a little more at ease, and she hastily did as Noelle asked. “It’s so annoying when that happens.”
“Sorry,” Ralsei did say then, bashful and instinctive. “I shouldn’t have distracted you while you were trying to focus.”
“What? No way!” Noelle shook her head then, looking up from the mirror towards her. “Talking is the best part of hanging out with you! I can do my makeup any day of the week. It’s… Fun, doing it with someone else.”
“Oh!” Ralsei replied, certain she was flushing and silently hoping her fur would conceal it. “I’m having fun too, Noelle.”
It was then that Noelle gasped, discarding her mascara completely. “Now’s the best part!” She exclaimed through her grin, eyes crinkling pleasantly under its width. “My mom and I went dress shopping the other day for the dance, and I saw something that would suit you so perfectly we just had to buy it as well! Just wait, you’re going to love it.”
She dashed off to her closet before Ralsei could respond, rummaging through blouses and skirts, sweaters and cardigans, until she pulled out a pale blue gown. It was elegantly long, with puffy white sleeves and a huge ribbon nestled in its centre. Sparkling under Noelle’s warm bedroom lights, it was the most beautiful thing Ralsei had ever seen.
“Noelle, you shouldn’t have,” she breathed, barely audible as she hovered a hand just before the fabric. It looked silken, the skirt rippling down in numerous even pleats, and Ralsei had to wonder– “How much did this cost?”
“Don’t worry about that!” Noelle pulled a face, offering the dress more insistently now. “I got it for you to enjoy, not worry over. I have one too. Try it on!”
Careful and hesitant, Ralsei reached out to touch the garment. However irrational it was, she couldn’t help but feel as though if she were to touch it, the dress would disappear, dissolving into nothing like a broken reflection in the lake. She had been right in expecting it to be soft: it was supple under her fingers, with five different layers and with a hoop skirt underneath.
Attempting to wrangle the netting and tiers, Ralsei stepped into the dress, careful to avoid trapping its skirt underfoot. She tugged her daywear off overhead, lifting the bodice to her chest. To her surprise (and somewhat relief), there was no need for padding or cushioning: it rested close against her skin, cool upon fluff and snug at her shoulders.
When Ralsei was ready, Noelle lifted her fingers from her eyes, moving them instead to her mouth when she took the outfit in. “It looks perfect!” She assured her, moving to lift the zip at the back. Ralsei’s lips quirked when Noelle made a small, happy noise behind her, a rush of excitement flooding through her when the mirror was raised once again. “Do a spin!”
And so, marvelling, spellbound, she did. The skirt moved swiftly but gracefully when she twisted– reminiscent, she thought, of waves on a shore or the gentle fall breeze. Experimentally, Ralsei moved her arms, then stepped forward, testing the fit of the dress. It was tighter at the waist, held by a darker blue ribbon, and she felt her heart jump a little in euphoria.
“What do you think?” Noelle asked eagerly, and if Ralsei didn’t know any better, she’d think Noelle looked almost anxious for a response. “Do you like it?”
“I do,” Ralsei nodded, tearing her eyes from the mirror to Noelle. With a hint of embarrassment overwhelmed by surprise, she found her eyes welling with tears. “I love it. Thank you, Noelle.” She lifted the skirt with one hand, swishing it across Noelle’s carpet. “It’s beautiful.”
Noelle nodded in agreement with a hum, returning the mirror to her desk. Ralsei found herself ever-so-slightly disappointed– only for the emotion to be forgotten moments later when Noelle threw her hands around Ralsei’s neck. Freezing at the hug, Ralsei floundered, hands hanging uselessly midair at the feeling of Noelle being so close to her.
She felt warm. Too warm, really– far too warm, with Noelle like a hot water bottle, a mug of Christmas cocoa, pressed against her. Noelle’s hair was tickling her neck. And she was taking far too long to respond.
Noelle began to withdraw and, panicked, Ralsei hurriedly reciprocated the hug, wrapping her own arms around Noelle in turn. Noelle was tall and smelled of eggnog, and her golden hair was soft as Ralsei’s dress upon her hands. It had been pulled half-up in a braided bun (Ralsei’s own work; the night she’d spent practising with Susie had trained her well), leaving plenty to trail down like a waterfall to the small of her back. Hugging Noelle was a pleasant feeling. She’d never done it before.
After a few seconds, they parted once again. Despite the loss of physical warmth, it felt as though something had been lit within Ralsei’s chest– like a candle, or fireplace in the hearth. She took a small, steadying breath, looking up at Noelle once again.
“Your turn, Noelle!” She smiled, nodding over to the closet. “You have to have found something just as pretty yourself.”
Something mischievous snuck into Noelle’s eyes then, and she delved into her hangers once again. “Have you ever seen Mean Girls?”
Brow furrowing, Ralsei thought it over. That was, presumably, a movie– she was sure she’d seen some sort of CD case reading the name in bold pink capitals a few days prior, back when Kris and Susie had shown her around the nearest mall. “I can’t say I have, no.”
“I’ll have to show you sometime, it’s a classic,” Noelle insisted, extracting her own dress. It was a pretty shade of red, lined with cottony fluff and with a golden-buckled belt at its centre. “I won’t give you any spoilers, but that’s where I got the inspo from! Isn’t it cute?”
“It’s very nice,” Ralsei replied warmly, peering over it. It reminded her of something. She just had to place… “Oh! It looks like a Santa Claus costume!”
Perhaps, she thought suddenly, hit by a wave of anxiety, that was the wrong way to phrase such a comment. Had that been Noelle’s intention? Possibly– likely, even: her room had a mini Christmas tree!– but if not, she might have just ruined Noelle’s perception of her perfect prom dress. Ralsei didn’t think she could forgive herself for such a thing, especially after such generosity, and adding to that, would Noelle ever forgive her?
“Exactly!”
…Never mind.
“If my mom knew about the, um… Reputation this thing has, she’d go completely crazy,” Noelle laughed nervously, coiling one strand of hair around her finger. “But it’s kind of exciting, right? And I like it!” She blushed then, lifting it up to her body. “Hopefully Susie likes it too.”
“I’m sure she will,” Ralsei was quick to reassure her, folding her own hands in front of her. “Do you need any help?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” Noelle replied, not quite dismissive but certainly determined, and Ralsei turned politely away as she started getting changed. After a minute or so, she was done, wearing little golden earrings to match. “Ta-da!”
Ralsei clapped as she spun, again finding her face warm with a smile. “Are you ready to go see Susie and Kris?”
“I think so!” Noelle nodded, radiating nervous exuberance– then her eyes widened. “Oh, I almost forgot! These are for you.” She pulled out a pair of pointed blue heels, sparkling like the dress and with tiny bows atop each. “I know you don’t usually wear shoes, but, um… I thought these would go well, and you can wear them if you like!”
“Of course,” Ralsei readily agreed, sitting again on the desk chair– or, at least, trying to. The hoop skirt served to make it quite an endeavour, bending awkwardly as she sat and flaring the layers every which way. They got the shoes on eventually– not entirely shaped for Ralsei’s feet but operable nonetheless, and Noelle was right in their coordination with the dress. “Thank you again, Noelle. So much.” Ralsei itched to tell her that she shouldn’t have, to insist that she take it all back, that she wasn’t deserving of such luxuries and Noelle shouldn’t have wasted her money– but wearing the dress made her happy. And it made Noelle happy too. So instead, Ralsei kept up her smile, looked Noelle in the eye, and told her, “I can’t begin to express how much this all means to me.”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Noelle helped her up from the seat, shyly ducking her head. “It’s not like I can’t afford it, faha. I like buying things for my friends!”
Friends. They were friends. “Well, I appreciate it anyway. It’s… A very thoughtful gift.”
It was then that the door flew open, hitting the wall with a bang.
Ralsei startled, stumbling slightly into Noelle, whose every muscle seemed to have gone taut.
“Susie!” She exclaimed brightly, and had her antlers been able to twitch, Ralsei was certain they would have. “Wow. You look…” Susie’s hair was held back in a ponytail away from her face, a jacket on her shoulders and a loose-looking tie over her blouse. It was, all in all, a very good look. “Incredible.”
Ralsei nodded before she knew her head was moving. Susie always looked wonderful, but now, especially, it was as though–
“Shut up,” Susie brushed her knuckles over her face (likely, Ralsei thought with a tinge of fond amusement, out of embarrassment), then straightened in alarm. “Not, like, literally, though! I mean, uh– you look good. Too.” Susie’s eyes darted away from Noelle and then back, relaxing slightly at whatever she saw on the other girl’s face. “That dress really suits you.”
“Thanks, Susie,” Noelle beamed back at her, her own face illuminated a very telling shade of pink. “I’m really glad you think so!”
“Yeah! ‘Course,” Susie grinned a row of pointed golden teeth, then zeroed in on Ralsei, her mouth opening slightly. Ralsei’s eyebrows rose; surely she didn’t look that different to before. “Dude, you look awesome!” Susie exclaimed, playfully bumping her by the shoulder.
“Um… Susie?” Noelle said pointedly, her smile straining.
“What?” Susie’s head turned to face her at the same time Ralsei’s did, both of them wearing twin looks of confusion. Then, quickly– “Oh, shit! Sorry, man– I mean, uh, Ralsei. Those are everyone terms, I swear! You know I don’t actually mean–”
“Don’t worry, Susie, I know,” Ralsei giggled slightly, rubbing a comforting hand over her back. Noelle sagged a little in relief in the corner of her eye, so Ralsei looked over at her to say, “I appreciate you looking out for me, but I really don’t mind it! Didn’t Susie call you ‘dude’ just the other day?”
Noelle opened her mouth to protest, then paused. Slowly, she closed it again. “…Whoops! Faha…”
“You two have been taking forever,” Susie complained briskly, one arm wrapping around Ralsei’s shoulders to turn to the door. “Kris and I had to hide Nerdly’s glasses just for something to do. Sick shoes, by the way.”
“Susie!” At Noelle’s playfully scornful voice, Susie tipped her head behind her, offering a hand for the other girl to take. “You know he’s going to complain about that the whole dance.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Susie rolled her eyes offhandedly, leading the two of them to the staircase. “He’ll get distracted easily enough. Hey, what if I bet Kris ten bucks to dance with him?”
“Do you have ten bucks?” Ralsei piped up, teasing.
“I might do!”
As she and Noelle erupted into another fit of giggles, Ralsei felt herself relax into the weight of Susie’s arm upon her back. The Sadie Hawkins dance was something she’d never expected to see, but it really was impossible to imagine being in Castle Town alone just then. Despite the Holiday household’s permanently freezing climate, she didn’t think she’d ever felt warmer.
(And if Susie and Noelle lifted the back of her dress as she descended the staircase, that was just the cherry on top.)