A Gentleman Calls

[Jan de Witt]

(Theophilus "Theo" Walterson - Prom Start)

As the car slowed to a halt in front of the house where Hart lived, Evangeline Walterson looked at her son. "Are you sure this is the right place, Theo?"

Theo smiled nervously, shifting uncomfortably in his tailcoat and top hat ensemble. "Yes, of course I'm sure. I asked several times to make sure. You don't have to feel so worried! I've spoken to Nona a lot and she's really nice!". Admittedly, he had found the act of asking anyone out to prom terrifying, but the prospect of spending dinner on Prom Night with his parents asking pointed questions about his social life was even less inviting.

This situation, of course, was equally uncomfortable: he had to get out somehow. Thinking quickly, he announced "She asked me to pick her up, so I'll just ring the doorbell, if that's fine with you." And with that, he exited the car. Ringing the doorbell, he called out "Um, Nona? It's me, Theo!"

[Emprexx Plush]

((Nona Hart Prom Start))

Hurried steps followed the door bell. When the door swung open Tara Hart grinned down at the nervous boy on her porch. "Theo, yeah? Come on in sugar, Nona's just puttin' on a couple last minute touches." With a wink she turned to yell up the staircase, "Nona! Don't make this handsome gentleman wait too long, understand?"

---

Nona had been staring at the picture on her phone whenever she had a spare moment for the last few days. After Theo invited her to prom the house had been a frenzy of last minute preparations; she hadn't planned to go at all despite her mother's frequent encouragement, much less with a date. Between all the dress hunting and makeovers she'd forgotten the alternative she'd commissioned weeks ago, but he arrived all the same. He was shorter than the reference she'd given, and wider. A little more muscular, less tattoos and more piercings. Trade the chin scruff and close cut hair for a braided beard and a wavy slicked back mane. The outfit, though? She wouldn't change a thing. The only alterations she'd requested to its forest green majesty were changing the soles of the shoes from tan to gold, with a black tie patterned with dark green and gold vines to match. It was flawless. It was breath-taking. It was her, but...him. You couldn't blame her for staring.

She was less excited to look at the message that came with it.

"hey marco, sorry it took me so long. been kinda swamped with the senioritis you get me bro XD ngl i think i crushed it so i hope it was worth the wait. lemme know what you think, best stunt half as good in the real thing!"

"Marco" looked fantastic. He'd kill it at prom for sure. No matter how long she stared at him though, she couldn't step through the screen into his skin. Instead she'd spent the last several hours becoming someone else.

At least the dress Mom helped her find had kind of the same motif going on. She'd wasted no time transforming Nona to go along with it either; manicure and pedicure with professionally painted nails, a salon appointment to help her hair shine now that she wasn't confining it for a night, so many brands of lip stick and blush and eye shadow and foundation and things she didn't even know the name of still until they settled on classic black eyeliner and ruby red lips with sparkling gold eyeshadow. It was a lot, but it was gorgeous. Even she couldn't deny that as her mother beamed behind the camera.

It didn't feel like her, but that was okay. She could never be any of the people she fantasized about, but maybe she could be this person. Maybe if she'd been willing to try sooner she wouldn't feel so-

"Nona! Don't make this handsome gentleman wait too long, understand?"

She shot up from her desk. "S-sorry," she shouted back, "I'm coming!" It was a miracle she didn't tumble over her dress on her way down the stairs.

[Jan de Witt]

Theo was moderately surprised at the appearance of Nona's mother, but quickly recovered, bowing his head politely. "It is wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Hart. Thank you for letting me in."

Turning to look at Nona's descent down the stairs, however, he gasped in astonishment. The Nona he had known was an earnest yet rather awkward girl, bursting with both kind-heartedness and an odd sense of discomfort. The Nona standing before him now, however, was quite different; a creature of elegance, dressed in a confection of silk and ... leaves? "Nona, you look ... different! In a good way, I mean. I was just surprised how magical it looked, like a character in a fairy tale, almost."

Placing his hat back on his head, he gestured towards the door. "Anyways, my mom's waiting for us down the road. It's fine if you're still busy, though!" He waited intently, unsure what to do.

[Emprexx Plush]

'Different' wasn't the first descriptor you wanted to hear from your prom date. Probably. She only had a theoretical grasp on the dynamic. Different wasn't wrong. It definitely felt different, so she couldn't blame him. Not that she needed to; if 'different' was a misstep 'magical' more than made up for it. Her cheeks were burning before he'd finished the sentence. How were you supposed to respond to that? People didn't say things like that about her very often. Or ever. Unless you counted her mother, which you can't, that's illegal. "Thank you Theo, I was worried it might be, uh..." Might be what? Where were you going with that? Don't act like you know what you're doing.

Tara was glad enough to see Nona being treated well that she didn't mind the hurried pace. It would have been nice for Mrs...oh no their last name had already slipped right out her head, huh? Maybe it was better she didn't come up then. She beckoned to Nona still frozen halfway up the stairs. "Darlin' you got all night to swoon, get on down here 'fore your ride takes off without you." With that encouragement Nona blushed brighter and hurried down to join him. "Um, I think I'm ready, I don't want to keep your mom waiting!"

"Hold on," Tara interjected, "mind if I get a couple pictures before ya'll head out?"

[Jan de Witt]

So, not only had he managed to embarrass Nona, he also had to go and ignore Mrs. Hart's needs as well. A less than satisfactory beginning, to be sure. "Forgive me, but I had completely forgotten about that. Should I keep my hat on, or not? I wouldn't want to overshadow your daughter, Mrs. Hart, given her simply wonderful costume."

Taking a place by Nona's side on the other side of the bottom of the staircase, he smoothed down his pants and coat, then swept his hands over his hair. Replacing his hat and straightening his back, he put on the warmest smile he could muster. "I'm ready when you are. Take all the time you need, though! I wouldn't want to ruin your photos, after all!".

[Emprexx Plush]

"You gotta get those eyes checked if you think a hat's gonna outshine my baby tonight." Tara's voice was playful, but still Nona hoped he wasn't offended. "It's nice on you," she whispered from his side, "it makes you look...noble." It felt like a dumb thing to say once it was in the air. She had to be blushing again. Her face froze towards her mother's waiting phone. Should they hold hands or something? She really hadn't done her homework, that was a mistake. They weren't even out the door and he was probably already having second thoughts.

Her mother took a handful of shots before waving them on through the door. "I kept ya'll long enough, don't want your mom to get worried." As Nona was headed for the door she heard her call out "Have fun, and be safe!"

She wasn't about to look back or try to unpack what that was supposed to mean.

[Jan de Witt]

As they walked down the porch and towards the car, Theo considered Nona's words. "You think it looks nice? Thank you, I was worried you'd find it stupid or ridiculous." Once they reached the car, he opened the backseat door for her, and motioned her inside.

Once Nona was safely inside, he opened the trunk of the car to take out a small bouquet of flowers. The sweet pea flowers within had wilted slightly, but it would have to do. Returning back to the car, he bowed theatrically. "A bouquet for the fairy of the forest! I grow a few flowers and vegetables, actually. I didn't realize it would fit your theme so well though." Seating himself next to her, he smiled gratefully. He turned to his mother. "I think we're all ready to go!"

As the car drove up to the traffic light before the school, Evangeline took a close look at her son's chosen partner. "So Nona, how did you manage to get my Theo out of his Byronic shell? I was expecting to have another family dinner tonight, so this was a pleasant surprise."

[Emprexx Plush]

From her understanding of the structure and purpose of myth Nona's general aesthetic was as far from evoking a forest spirit as one could manage. Perhaps there was less distance between her and the fae. Being described as a fairy of the forest still took her aback. Whether in a good way or a bad way was harder to discern, but it was different. Different could be good tonight. She should just lean into it. Hopefully her smile wasn't too awkward as she accepted the flowers. "They're beautiful!" She didn't recognize them, and it took effort to resist the urge to go for her phone. With enough searching she could probably figure out what they were, but it would be rude to dive into research mode on a-

She'd nearly framed it as a date in her head, but that was presumptuous. Nona didn't get asked on dates. It was just a dance. That was kind of easier to handle. It'd be rude to do just with a friend too, despite how many of her friends indulged her bad habits. There was a much more polite way to get information sitting right next to her. Before she could get the nerve to ask though, a nervous shiver ran up her spine. She felt the eyes in the rearview mirror before she dared acknowledge them; you don't live in constant fear of appraisal without developing a sense for it. The spotlight of parental attention was firmly on her, and while it passing without comment would have been enough to keep her heart pounding until they got to the school it would have been a gift compared to the alternative. In the quiet of the car she would have sworn she could hear the subtle intake of breath before Evangeline spoke.

Her fingers curled against the seat. How much force would she need to launch herself through the window and run home? More than she could possibly muster under normal circumstances, but with sufficient adrenaline...

Thankfully the question that followed was a soft one. Nona forced a nervous giggle. "Luck, I guess. I don't remember doing anything special. I was just on my way to class and..."

She was suddenly very aware of how close her hand was to his.

"Uh, there he was..."

[Jan de Witt]

Nona had taken the flowers, fortunately. Theo inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He was, however, taken aback by the directness of his mother's questioning, and by the fact that Nona had clearly found the questioning discomfiting. "I invited her, actually. I decided to take your advice and be more proactive socially. I'm not completely socially inept, you know. I can make friends." I just don't want to, he thought privately.

Abruptly, he noticed that Nona's hand had moved alarmingly close to his. This was accompanied by the sudden realization that although he had intended his invitation as a purely friendly gesture, Nona might not have seen it that way. Was it cruel to invite someone to an ambiguous situation, then fail to do anything? Probably. He thought of his mother's romance novels. Too often, pain was caused by one person being unwilling to see through what they started. He of all people should know the pain of rejection. Trembling with a growing sense of unease, he reciprocated, placing his own hand into Nona's palm. He smiled weakly at her. "I... Thank you for coming, Nona. I hope you know this means a lot to me." Would this be enough intimacy for her?

[Emprexx Plush]

Friends! Friends were good. Friends were comfortable well navigated territory. The tension didn't completely drop out of Nona's body when he said that but it certainly helped. She kept getting in her head over nothing. It wasn't like he'd done anything to hint at something more, it was all expectations getting the better of her. They were going to have a nice easy night stumbling their way through prom together without any need to perform for each other or sweat too much about what they were thinking. Even before she finished the thought she knew she was lying to herself, she was going to be a ball of anxiety about how everyone saw her no matter what, but at least there wasn't the added social pressure of romantic intimacy.

Then Theo's hand was on top of hers. He gave her this nervous sort of smile and delivered a line straight out of a Lifetime movie. Those were signs. They had to be signs. She managed to keep the panic off of her face as she nodded and smiled back. "Me too, going alone would have been weird. It's nice to have a friend to be with." She did not at present have the resources to blow up the word friend and hang it in the sky for reference but she could fantasize. Well, not that Theo was unattractive or anything, she'd be flattered if he was trying to say something, but she didn't know him all that well and she'd never been on a date and oh no did prom feel like the wrong context to try her hand at that. It was safer to slip into the logical, established framework that they were just two friends going to a dance so they wouldn't be alone. Much, much safer.

Other questions drifted through her mind. Nona wanted to know if he'd been to a GHHS dance before, if he knew how to dance, if he was worried about what people would say, if he knew where the exits were in case they needed to make a panicked get away, if...it all kind of went increasingly down hill from there, and she knew anything after the first couple was probably best kept in her head. Even the mundane questions felt intimidating to ask in front of his mother, though. Would it disappoint her that Nona didn't already know the answers to these questions? How close did she think Nona and Theo were? How close did her mom think they were? She was reasonably confident this wasn't a date, and Theo hadn't told her otherwise, but what did their parents think? What would their friends think? There were going to be so many awkward questions tonight, weren't there?

In her soul Nona let out a mournful groan loud enough to rattle the foundations of her personhood. Thankfully it had not yet found a route to physical manifestation.

[Jan de Witt]

"Me too, going alone would have been weird. It's nice to have a friend to be with." Ah. Right. No romance there. Another sad reminder that novels, while certainly representative of the human condition, were probably not the best references for actual relationships. Theo reddened slightly in embarrassment, carefully removing his hand. "Yes, friends, and friendships, are important." Irritatingly, that statement still left a few mixed signals in the air.

Thinking quickly, Theo eventually settled on an appropriate way to end this strand of discussion. "Nona, do you know any dance moves you could show me? I like waltzes, but I always thought the waltz was excessively romantic, don't you?" Not particularly subtle, perhaps, but it would be best to prevent any further misinterpretations. He quickly combed his hair and let out a sharp breath.

The sudden change in tone did not go unnoticed by his mother, who sighed in disappointment. Evangeline, for one, thought they had been doing perfectly well. "We're here." Turning to face them, she smiled encouragingly. "Well, Ms. Hart, I wish you luck. Theo can be quite charming, if you can get him to talk to you. Theo, please don't be so afraid to open up. This young lady has clearly invested a lot of effort in joining you, so try not to avoid her the whole time." She parked in front of the school.

At the sight of his mother's disappointed face, Theo sighed sadly. "I'll try my best." Opening the door, he held out his hand. "Are you ready to go?"

(Theophilus "Theo" Walterson continued in But His Soul is Still Dancing)

[Emprexx Plush]

Nona had thought about his question the rest of the way over. Dancing wasn't something she had much experience with, but her mom had taught her a few moves. Performing them in front of her peers was a mortifying prospect, but if he really wanted to get out there at least they could share the embarrassment. Unless he was angry at her for dragging him into her display. Or it was all a joke. One of those weird bets you see in movies all the time to ask some Undesirable Girl to the Big Dance and humiliate her. Usually those worked out with comical misunderstandings and two opposites falling in love over time, but they hadn't put near that much effort into getting ready and she was pretty sure they weren't opposites to start with. It was ridiculous to think about, but if it was true all signs pointed to her being the punchline. This was a mistake. This dress was uncomfortable and showed too much skin. She could feel make-up caked onto her face and kept having to resist the urge to smear it or even scratch it off if she had to; this wasn't her, she couldn't do this, she needed to go home.

Nona thought all those things. Not a word of it made it from her mind to her lips. Tonight, just for a few hours, she wanted to try and be someone different. Something different. Something beautiful. Not a scared, confused entity trapped inside a body they didn't understand. A fairy. A queen. Anything confident, anything that could move with its own grace whether its steps matched what was expected or not. Anything with authority.

She couldn't visualize what that was like any clearer than usual. She didn't know what she wanted to be, she just knew she didn't want to be...this.

The least Nona thing to do was to take his hand and not wait for him to lead her away. To pull him along in her wake with a wide, genuine smile. "I thought of some moves I wanna show you, let's go before this song stops!"

She left Nona waiting outside. Whoever she was right now didn't have time for her.

((Nona Hart Continued in But His Soul Is Still Dancing))