The Youth of Today

[Konstantin Fisk]

Since Julian's engagement - and subsequent return to precisely the same bachelor status as the rest of them - it had been preying upon Konstantin's mind that having a young lady in one's life was not altogether a bad idea. He was still young so there was no need to seriously begin seeking a proper wife, but it wouldn't hurt to see if there were charming young ladies who might fit the bill in a few years! As such it had occurred to him to make this season the first he ever endeavored to do properly. Unfortunately it had not occurred to him that his little sister's coming out ball was perhaps not the best start.

The young ladies, whilst very pretty and seeming quite sweet, were also notable by all being...well...Zelda's age and that was certainly a bucket of ice water on his plans. Perhaps if there were more Xena's sort of age-? But no, even with her extra years she had gotten herself into trouble it had taken Mr Sterling to rescue her from and he had lost a weekend drinking about it so that was no good. Lena's? Merlin, that might be desperate. 

Perhaps he ought to leave? Perhaps he ought to get another drink?

The latter idea held him and Kons moved towards the drinks table, finding himself next to a young lady - success - who even if she was in Zelda's year, mercifully didn't look it. 

"Are you enjoying the evening?"

  

[Charlotte Winslowe]

Lottie would have been quite happy to skip this entire affair. If she'd thought she could get away with it, she would have stayed up in her dormitory and not come down at all. But of course, that wasn't going to be possible.

She had at least danced once--with a fellow who'd proven to be murder on her poor toes--and was now contemplating finding her way to the refreshments when someone spoke to her.

Turning, she smiled a little ruefully at the man, answering, "It is very pleasant. Are you?" She wasn't sure that actually answered whether or not she was enjoying herself, but it sounded right.

  

[Konstantin Fisk]

The fairly mild opinion that it was a pleasant affair quite summarily described how Kons felt about the ball itself. It wasn’t the first he had attended as a grown man of course but each year filled him with a strange degree of nerves and he felt terribly awkward for the vast majority. At least he didn’t seem to have found himself in the company of the sort of girl who was overly enthused by the whole thing and might expect him to dance with her.

“As much as can be expected give how sorely I believe I stick out amongst the revellers.” He said wryly, glancing towards a group of young men who appeared to be barely twenty and thoroughly enjoying themselves flirting with the young ladies. “There’s certainly been every effort made to make it a night to remember.”

  

[Charlotte Winslowe]

Charlotte followed the man's gaze, though she almost grimaced. That was what this was mostly for, though, so she supposed she couldn't make too many faces at it in good conscious. Publicly, anyway.

"That's certainly apprectiated," she said. This had some degree of truth to it, at least. "At the very least, I think the last night of school should probably be marked by something. If there wasn't a ball, I'd like some other festivity, probably. Just something to mark the occasion."