I'll Be the Princess (Burke girls, Lani, Justine)

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia was bouncing off the wall on the day of the ball. To her, this was the greatest, most wonderful event ever to happen in her 16 years of life. It was the ultimate fulfillment of all her childhood dreams and wishes.

And so was her dress, a glorious gown of ice-blue satin with sleeves that draped over the shoulder, and a fluffy skirt of tulle and lace. It hung proudly above her closet door, just begging her to put it on.

But first, she had to get ready. She had invited Allaire and Kassia to join her, as well as Leilani. She was also planning to convince their other roommate, Justine, to go. Although Ophelia did not consider Justine a friend, she felt bad for the girl, who had lost her boyfriend in that terrible attack on Hogsmeade. Ophelia simply couldn't bear to see anyone so sad, even someone she didn't like very much.

[Allaire Burke]

Allaire did borrow one of Ophelia's dresses for the dance. It was a dark silver colored dress. The dress wasn't shiny, it was more flowy. Sighing, Allaire closed her book and walked up to their room, where Ophelia would be waiting.

Once she entered the room, Allaire put on a smile. "Hello Fee," she said with a happy tone. She already put her dress in Ophelia's room so that she could get ready whenever her sisters did. "I still haven't decided how to have my hair. I don't know if I want up or down."

[Leilani Evetts]

Lani was already in the room, and she could already see where Fee was acting the princess, and she had a feeling her sisters and Lani herself were to be her ladies in waiting. That was fine. You sort of knew to expect it from Ophelia, but she had a good heart under it. Sometimes.

She smiled in greeting as Allaire came in. She was sitting at the foot of her bed, her dress laid out next to her, and her hair hung loose over her shoulders. She wouldn't take as much fuss as Fee to get ready.

Truthfully, she was somewhat nervous about the dance, and going with Rystain, and then seeing Lyra. She didn't suspect that the night would go without incident.

"You should leave it down, Allaire. It's very pretty."

[Allaire Burke]

She glanced to Lani and smiled. "Hey Lani," she greeted. "Thanks. I'm thinking of making it wavy or curly since you say down." Allaire was never really concerned about what she wore, or how she looked, but tonight was completely different. She wanted to look pretty.

Allaire looked to the bag in her hand. She owned a few makeup items, and figured that tonight she would use them. There were some days she did use a little bit, but then there were most days that she didn't. Tonight was going to be a night when she used it.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia had already decided that she was going to put her hair up in a crown of curls, so she leaned back and looked at Allaire. "Yes... I think down will be good. But the front part should be swept up, and we can make it come down in a cascade of curls. Yes, that would look pretty. And Lani, you should wear your hair totally down and wavy. You look so pretty that way. We could put flowers in your hair."

She was practically bouncing with excitement. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I can't wait for it to start! But where is Kassi? I have such plans for her... All the single boys will want to ask her to dance when I'm done."

[Kassia Burke]

"Well then you certainly have your work cut out for you." Kassia said walking in the door. She had other things on her mind than this silly dance, really she had no interest in even going but her brother was taking her and she wanted to look pretty for him at least and do the Burke name proud obviously. Her gown was a soft rose color that faded into a pure white at the bottom and shimmered when she walked. Kassia had designed the gown herself and sewed it together magically , there were rose buds along the bust and at the bunched fabric in the back. The gown was everything Kassia was or hoped to portray, elegant, tasteful, sophisticated, and when she put it on it would be quite a few things Kassia hadn't imagined, such as beautiful, stunning and perfect.

[Leilani Evetts]

Lani nodded. "I'll wear my hair down." It mattered to her a lot more than it should have. She wanted to look absolutely perfect for Rystain. She wanted him to have no regrets about choosing her over Lyra, and so it was sort of a goal for her that she needed to look prettier than Lyra.

And the whole thing was stupid. She knew that. But she was a girl, and what was she supposed to do?

So if Fee said down and wavy with flowers, that's how she would do it. She stayed mostly quiet, letting the sister fuss over each other.

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia moved more to the inside of the room, her dress covered in a black plastic protective material was on a hanger that she hung up magically on a hook in the room. "And Fee, don't you worry about me." she turned her smile to Lani and nodded her greeting, then she turned towards Allaire and smiled a sisterly smile, "So...what can I do?" she asked.

Growing up Kassia took a motherly responsibility over her siblings which she could never really explain except that she wanted to do all that she could to please her parents, and help in whatever way possible. She helped their mother fix hair and such for as long as she could remember for her sisters and often let her own hair go it's own way, or rather she wore it in a simple and sophisticated manner. Growing up however Fee had obviously taken over in the fashion and beauty department and Kassia was proud of the creations Fee came up with.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia shook her head at Kassia. "Oh, Kassi, you must stop talking like that. Of course all the boys are going to want to dance with you, except Tyler and Ashton and Rystain, of course, because they'll be taken. But you're a Burke, and that automatically makes you special."

She leaned back and looked at Kassia critically, her hand tucked under her chin. "I think your hair should be up. In sort of a messy pile of curls, with little wisps hanging down. I know just the thing. You're going to look beautiful. Just trust me, you don't have to do a thing."

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia was a bit wary of the invitation to sit down and be idle but she usually didn't deny her sisters and she didn't deny Fee now. Sitting she glanced around at everything and then smiled when her eyes fell on Fee's dress, "It's beautiful Fee." she commented, then gave Allaire an equally complementary statement on her dress.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia beamed. "Thank you," she said. "And yours is, too. Where ever did you get it? You're always so mysterious... I never saw you shopping or looking at catalogues, and you didn't take any from Daddy. Not that I'm complaining, of course, because he gave the extra to me, and I spent every sickle."

She said this proudly, as if she had achieved something grand.

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia blushed at the compliment paid her own gown, she was proud of it in a way, at least there wouldn't be another one like it. "I made it." she replied then turned in her seat not awaiting a response as she began dolling herself up.

[Leilani Evetts]

Lani watched the sisters interact, and the dynamics between them were easy to spot. They were all very considerate of each other and the role they played in the family, and it made Lani think of her and her brother. Which reminded her that he had a game tonight. She'd have to look in the Prophet tomorrow to see who won... since it was New Years, it was the last game of the year, but not the season.

She sighed quietly and stood up, picking her dress up off the bed. Her make up was already done, and she would get dressed before she did her hair.

"Well, I'll be right back," she said, taking the dress into the bathroom and changing quickly. It was a gorgeous dress, long and flowing and pink, and it made her feel pretty, like she wanted to be for Rystain. She was worried, though. He'd been so distant lately, and she wondered if he was regretting not choosing Lyra.

She came out of the bathroom then to leave it open for whoever needed it, and sat down gracefully on her bed, conjuring a mirror so she could start on her curls.

[Allaire Burke]

Allaire sighed. She knew that she should get ready. Conjuring a mirror just as Lani left to go put on her dress, she started to work on her hair. Her hair was naturally straight, but that was what magic was for. Allaire wasn't looking for any kind of special kind of curl. She didn't need it to be necessarily perfect because she was aiming for the relaxed kind of curl.

Once she was finished, Allaire put half of it up, and looked down to the make up she had. A little bit wouldn't hurt. "Hey Lani, by any chance do you have an extra kohl pencil?"

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia didn't hesitate, " Here's one Allie" she said extending her arm back in stride as if she had a premonition that Allaire would need a kohl pencil. She didn't even appear to be paying attention to anyone but herself as she got ready for the dance and yet her mind was everywhere at once and very keenly attuned to the needs of everyone in the room.

"You look absolutely stunning Lani." she said with sincerity in her voice, "Rystain is very lucky." she complimented with a smile. She had stripped down to her corset and hose, but then again it was just her sisters and Lani there. A moment later she conjured a robe and leaned back ready to let Ophelia do as she desired with her hair.

[Allaire Burke]

"Thanks Kassi," she said taking the kohl pencil and started to highlight her eyes with it. Allaire rarely wore anything around her eyes, but she had seen a picture in one of Ophelia's magazines that she liked. She had committed the look to memory and after she put on the little bit of kohl, she opened her eyeshadow. It was more of a pewter color, but it helped bring her eyes nevertheless. After she put the eyeshadow on which included just a little glitter, she was finished. The only thing left to do was to slip into her dress.

Like Kassia, Allaire didn't buy her dress. She was simply borrowing hers from Ophelia. In fact, Allaire didn't remember Fee ever wearing it, but it didn't matter. At least she had a dress and Allaire wasn't one to complain.

She slipped into the bathroom after grabbing her dress. Allaire carefully put on the dress and was able to zip it up herself. She looked in the mirror and smiled softly. She was pleased with how everything turned out. Smoothing out a few parts of the dress, Allaire stepped out, and walked over to where she was sitting before. "Well, I'm finished," she said. Of course, she found boredom quickly. Ophelia, Lani, and Kassi were still getting ready. "Anyone need any help?"

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia didn't usually take long on her appearance either, but Ophelia was doing her hair and she had no choice in the matter but to sit there and look happy.

"Oh you look gorgeous Allaire." Kassia said with a sigh, both her sisters were very pretty although you didn't notice it in Allaire so much because she didn't doll herself up as often as Fee did, and yet Allaire didn't need to doll herself up, all three Burke girls were naturally beautiful.

[Ophelia Burke]

Having spent much of the day constructing her own hairstyle, Ophelia was free to spend some time helping her sisters and friend with theirs. Dressed in her robe, she moved over to Kassia and began to construct the perfect style for her sister--sort of an effortlessly elegant pile of curls with bits hanging down for effect.

At Kassi's comment, Ophelia looked over at Allaire. "I agree, Ally. You do look beautiful. I'm so glad you're wearing that dress. I think that color compliments you far better than it ever did for me."

[Justine Torrance]

Justine was painfully aware that the ball was tonight, but she had been trying to ignore it. She had no intentions of going, of course. Even before Jason's death, Justine hadn't been planning to attend. She had turned down all of his offers to go with him, and now she regretted it. Even though it most likely wouldn't have changed what happened, at least he would have died not feeling rejected by her.

Their relationship had been complicated, and often painful... but now that he was gone, she missed him terribly. There were so many things she would have done differently.

She had been sitting in the common room reading, but eventually the fuss over the girls in their dresses and the boys in their dress robes got to be too much and she decided to head up to her dormitory. But as she entered the room, she could see it was now officially overrun with giggling blondes getting ready for the ball. Fantastic. She turned and was about to go to the library to hide when Ophelia called out to her.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia heard the door open and turned slightly to see Justine poking her head in. "Wait! Justine!" she called excitedly, stopping the girl from leaving the room. "Please... come in! I have something for you."

She moved over to her closet and took out a black garment bag. "I ordered this dress last year, but the sizes were wrong and it didn't fit me. I think it will fit you... I think you should wear it and go to the ball tonight. Please? Say you will. I know we're not really friends, but I don't like to see you so depressed, especially on such a magical night. Please? Say you'll go. I'll fix you up so you look pretty."