Nic / Lem
Nic knew that inviting Lem to attend the Christmas Gala with him was going to cause a stir. He just didn't give a shit. If she said yes, then he wanted her there with him and no one else's opinion really mattered to him. He knew they might get some looks, but with a red and black theme, he thought they might actually blend in a bit. At least color-wise. But even if they didn't, it didn't matter. He'd long ago stopped worrying about what the people of this town thought of him. They either knew him or they didn't. They liked him or they didn't. If they based their decisions on his reputation, and elected to think the worst of him, then that was their problem, not his. Because when it came down to it, those closest to him knew better. It was Christmas and he had just as much a right to celebrate as everyone else.
He'd always liked a party with a theme and he selected a black and red pinstripe shirt and black dress slacks for the occasion. Pair that with black suspenders and a black tie and he was set. Maybe a little more casual than those who opted for suits or tuxes, but dressy enough, and with a touch of class, at least in his opinion. He offered his hand to Lem as they entered the ballroom, eyes taking in the decorations. They always did a nice job at these things. A step up from what he considered "prom decor", making it actually seem like a grown-up party, even if he still didn't feel like a grown-up. He didn't think he ever would.
Lem had been surprised to be invited to something fancy, held at a country club, no less. Her parents hadn’t been poor, but they hadn’t had country club money, either. She’d known that Nic’s family was well off, but it wasn’t something she gave much thought to. Until he invited her to attend a gala. If it had been anyone else asking, she would’ve said no -- except to go make mischief with Vex, that was -- but she liked Nic, a lot, so ... why not, right? She’d gone out with Vex and hit up multiple thrift stores until she found a dress. It was big-skirted and taffeta, with puffy sleeves and looked like it came out of the nineties, which made it perfect. Black dye hadn’t been hard to find, and while the bathtub might never recover from the process, Lem felt weirdly beautiful in it. She’d freshly buzzed her hair, put on a black lace choker, and done her makeup in a way that made her feel like a vampire.
Vex had approved, and Nic had seemed to as well when he picked her up, so Lem was comfortable walking into the fancy party looking like a goth bride. He definitely looked handsome, and she’d found herself wondering vaguely if this was how normal people felt going to prom. Lem took his hand, her eyes scanning the crowd with curiosity as she let Nic lead the way. This was more his territory than hers, after all.
Nic had never been the best at navigating large scale social events. He wasn’t the social butterfly his sister was, so while he knew practically everyone there, he didn’t really feel the desire to talk to them all. What he usually did was the only thing he could think to do now, even with a date by his side. “I’ve never been good at these things. Want to get a drink and people watch?” he asked, looking down at her with a little smile. She looked fantastic, her dress on point and so very Lem. He knew it wasn’t typical of today’s fashion and that she’d probably get some looks, but he liked that she remained true to herself and her sense of style.