It was the night before Prom at Santa Monica High School.

Thanks to Lorna Dane's discerning eye and Ororo Munroe's patience, the inside of Inferno had been transformed from its usual decor to a more colorful dance floor befitting a non-prom. The amount of detail in the decorations looked like it took more than the two days provided, brightening up the dark club and giving them the perfect venue for everyone's best dress. Doors opened at eight and the party was well underway by nine.

Food was lined up against one wall, monitored by Heather Cameron and any chaperone who felt the need to break away. There was plenty to eat, provided by a few different local places and replenished throughout the night. Drinks were offered from behind the counter, non-alcoholic punches and sodas for the students and something a little stronger for the older crowd if they looked like they needed it. And as long as no one started any trouble, a certain Miss Manners wasn't going to go around to verify drinks as alcoholic.

The majority of the music provided that evening was courtesy of Mark Sheppard, simultaneously taking requests while using his experienced judgment to play what kids these days liked. To give the resident disc jockey a break, Alison Blaire took the stage, performing a slew of covers and some of her own stuff with Lila Cheney providing the music tracks. At the height of the performance, Mark joined them back on stage and the two ladies belted out a rendition of 'Telephone' while a light show played over the crowd, perfectly synchronized to the music.

It looked like any other Friday night at the club, the crowd swelling on the dance floor. Only this time, this group was a bit younger than the average weekend crowd. The reactions of the non-mutant guests were varied but general positive; they wouldn't have been invited or attended if they were weird about mutants, after all. And if any trouble or cops showed up at the door, they were met by Betsy Braddock who charmingly convinced them they we needed elsewhere.

[ THREAD ; open to those who attended or helped out! ]

Marie-Ange Colbert and Alison Blaire's party planning came into fruition Saturday night, with the help of volunteers to get decorations up and food brought from the restaurants. Tables were set up around the ballroom with long tables with food lined one side of the ballroom. Mistletoe hung in dark (and not-so-dark) places and the holiday lights were hung up over the dance floor to cast a low light.

The doors to the ballroom opened promptly at 8:00 PM. Ali (with the help of Mark Sheppard) handled the music, mixing a playlist of holiday and popular music for the residents and guests of the hotel who mingled on the dance floor. And somehow over the course of the evening, the punch was ceremoniously spiked.

The party would go on until the music stopped and the food ran out, late into the evening.

[THREAD, if you would like or feel free to log]

Prince Gabriel was in an excellent mood. They'd finally apprehended that bastard brother of his, and he was currently enjoying the hospitality of his dungeons while the flower of nobility graced his hall. Queen Lorna of the Savage Lands had even graced the event with her presence, and he was glad he'd spared no expense when it came to the ball this evening.

Silk bunting draped the walls, hundreds of candles burning to brighten the room. The feast had been plentiful - the royal hunstmen had been out for days beforehand, bringing in boar and deer and pheasant for the roast. The wine and ale had been plentiful, flowing without halt for the pleasure of the guests.

Gabriel had contracted the finest musicians in the land for the dancing that would follow, and when the floor had been cleared and the music moving from general background entertainment to that to which they could dance. He rose from his seat to lead the dancing, turning to Queen Lorna with his most charming smile and the offer of his hand.

"Shall we, your Majesty?"

[ OPEN ]

ooc: please feel free to jump in with your characters if they were at the ball, dancing and carousing and generally having a marvelous time.

Everyone might have been on guard for another potential quake - but this was so completely off the scales of what anyone imagined. At around 3pm on Friday afternoon, the ground buckled and rippled out from the epicenter, quickly extending far out beyond Santa Monica's borders, the entire state and the surrounding areas soon feeling the shake.

At Paradise Hotel, they were luckier than most. Thanks to the quick thinking of Jean Grey and Madeline Pryor, they were able to reinforce the hotel, keeping it from completely collapsing around everyone's ears. It wasn't perfect - the top of the building still swayed and buckled, the two top floors crashing down in on each other and partially damaging the third. Most of the windows shattered, with the balconies quickly collapsing in on themselves and the back stairs following suit.

In the upper levels, Julian Keller found himself caught underneath a piece of falling concrete, knocked out as it pinned him down. Mark Sheppard, having stepped out onto one of the balconies not long before the quake, was instead impaled by a broken railing, suspended almost in midair. Forge would later be found buried underneath a slab of concrete that had once been part of the back stairs. They weren't the only residents who needed immediate help, and everyone needed to get out of there in a hurry.

Paradise Hotel was trying to fall down.

[ OPEN ]

Vanessa had never attended a prom. Granted, she'd never had a prom to go to since she hadn't gone to high school, but that didn't mean she know what it meant. There was enough of a romantic left in her to think it was sweet, and she was soft-hearted enough to want to make sure Angelica went and that she had a good time.

( So she played fairy godmother. )