when will my life begin?

David: Don't joke around like that. You and me, at the ball? It was magical. The most fun I've had in a long time. Surely you agree?

“Knowing what you believe in and knowing when you need space to love things still seem pretty brave to me,” Oliver admitted, his mouth quirking to the side. Something about what she was saying resonated deep within him; he still loved Becca, but after their awkward flub it’d been harder to love together. Maybe it was because they were both scared that the other cared less now, and that made them retreat into loving each other alone. He hadn’t thought it in quite those words before and it made him sad and wistful and wish that he were spending time with Becca tonight. All he could do was hope that one day they’d feel brave enough to love together again, because the other options made him feel like he was losing his breath just standing there.

But that was a train of thought for another time. Right now, he was here with Wonder Woman, and he chuckled at the mention of the lasso being broken. “Lying,” he repeated, nodding his head. “Definitely not the best thing in the world.” He cleared his throat at the chance to ask another question and nodded. “To be honest with you, I thought your answer was fine, but I won’t say no to another one. Wonder Woman, honestly, would you like to dance again?”

Becca shrugged; where earlier it would have been a deliberate attempt to be mysterious, now she just didn’t know. She heard the words that Wesley was saying, but she didn’t know that she believed them. She didn’t know much of anything these days, it seemed, except that his offer of a dance was a welcome distraction. She’d been happiest then, early in the night before she started to worry what her behavior and everything else meant, and she nodded her head. “Why yes, the lasso and I are both telling you that I’d love to,” she giggled, offering her hand to him again even though she was still tangled up in the lasso, not minding one bit a pause in their conversation in favor of dancing instead.

David: I've tried to be patient and let you approach me but I can't wait any longer! We need to talk about what happened at the masquerade, Becca.

He wondered vaguely at the thought of someone loving loneliness. It was a perspective he wasn’t sure he could really even pretend to grasp, he needed people so much that he wondered if it was a problem sometimes. It might be nice, to be able to be alone. “I love the feeling of whole different worlds,” Oliver admitted - it was why he was so into movies, every one of them was like a two hour vacation to another universe. “But going there alone, I don’t know. It’s not something I could do, but Wonder Woman being braver than Wesley isn’t exactly a plot twist, now is it?” he smiled, admiring her honesty. 

He stood still and chuckled as she worked the lasso over his head, figuring she must be shorter than she looked thanks to the magic in the air by the way she teetered. It was so weird that he could spend so much time with someone and feel like he really knew her when they didn’t even know what the other looked like. Maybe that’s why it was easier. When he didn’t have to present himself as Oliver, it was the easiest to be Oliver. He’d have to ask someone about the psychology of that later, but for now he just tried to think of the best question he could as he dropped the lasso over this girl, not pulling tight because he didn’t want to come off as some creepy predatory guy. “As you wish,” he referenced, biting his lip and letting the first question he thought of come out of his mouth. “What, to you, is the most annoying thing or habit that other people do?” he asked, wondering if any of his traits would make the list.

“Intriguing,” Becca replied, keeping her voice even as she tried to process the boy’s difference of opinion to hers. There was certainly something nice about sharing something you loved and were excited about with someone else, but... it was also nice to have something just for yourself, too. To not get lost too much in what other people thought and to just enjoy something on your own. “I don’t know that it’s Wonder Woman being brave in this situation so much as Wonder Woman just knowing what she cares about, and not wanting to let anyone change her mind. She’s open to other opinions, of course -- but sometimes people don’t care about things as much as she does, and that can make her sad. Sometimes it’s easier to just love things alone.”

Becca chewed on the inside of her cheek, letting her character slip up for a minute as she really thought about his question. What was the most annoying thing to her? She hadn’t really thought about it lately; she’d been so busy beating herself up that she’d hardly dwelled on the shortcomings of anyone else. “You know, the lasso must be broken, or else I really must not be sure, because I don’t have an answer for you. Maybe -- I don’t know, I guess people who hide things from people they care about?” She remembered getting mad at Will last year for his whole false engagement, and getting mad at David for pretending to feel nothing for Emily. Did that count? “Lying, technically, might be what that’s called,” she laughed nervously, wishing she could go back to feeling confident like she had just a few minutes ago. Why his question had disarmed her so much, she didn’t know. “That wasn’t a very good answer, do you want to ask a different question and see if the lasso works better next time?”

“I almost forgot I was wearing a mask,” he admitted, though his chest puffed up with pride that this girl didn’t seem to think he was boring or fake or weird. He felt weird most of the time, but right now it just felt like a good conversation, some good banter, and a lot of fun. He’d been taking himself seriously for too long, as if that’d make up for being bad at things he’d wished he’d be amazing at, and he’d have to really think about how that later. Tomorrow. Not tonight.

“Keep them wanting more, you know,” he agreed before chuckling appreciatively at her cleverness. “That’s a neat almost-loophole, I’ve gotta honor it.” His first fear was definitely being boring, being forgotten, never being good enough at anything - and somehow it was all of those things mixed together without him having the verbal capacity to sum it up. The second greatest fear was a little more simplistic and it came to him as he looked up around them to see the balconies jutting out over the dance floor. “Easy. Heights,” he admitted. He’d never told anyone that except Emma back when they’d tried scaling Bald Mountain as kids, because otherwise he’d never had to. “Boring, I know, but there’s something about being so high up above other people that feels kinda alone. I’m scared of the distance more than I am of the falling, I think.” He paused and had to smile at how seriously he’d answered her question, playing with the lasso a little. “Man, this thing really works,” he joked. “It wouldn’t happen to work on Wonder Woman if I wanted to ask her the same thing, would it?”

Becca paused at his comment, almost feeling guilty. If he’d forgotten he was wearing a mask, did that mean that he was being his realest, truest self, and she was the only one acting a little bit phony tonight? Or was she even being phony at all? Maybe this was just a side of herself that she’d buried, because she’d been the exact same in everyone’s eyes for so long. Even Oliver’s now; she wasn’t his new, exciting girlfriend that he was getting to know anymore, she was back to being boring old Becca to another person in her life, and she flipped her hair over her shoulder and giggled at his comment to hide the slight unease she felt about her own facade.

“Really? I love the feeling of being alone sometimes; it’s almost like being transported into a whole different world,” Becca said, though she wasn’t exactly the type to go hiking or climb trees. Mostly she read up in the tallest towers of her castle, and she had a feeling that wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. Giggling, she let her hand go to the lasso as she carefully lifted it back over the top of him, aware that she was so close now that if she teetered and fell she’d end up in this stranger’s arms. But just because she missed her boyfriend and how things had been before didn’t mean she wanted to be pulled close to someone else, did it? Becca really didn’t know, but her heart was pounding in her chest and she could tell she was nervous about what impression she might be giving off. That didn’t stop her, though; she passed the lasso to him once it was over his head, teasing, “I don’t know, why don’t you ask me something and find out?”

Oliver felt a little disappointed when she said she wasn’t much of a reader and he wasn’t totally sure why. He wasn’t either, really, but he supposed being Becca’s boyfriend for so long had had an impact on his expectations. It was okay, though, there were plenty of characters to talk about that weren’t in books and comics, like the ones in television shows that had disappointed them both, apparently. He definitely wasn’t expecting to end up with the lasso around his shoulders, but he grinned widely when he realized what was happening. She was funny. His heart beat faster as he wondered if this was crossing over too much into flirting with the way it affected him, but Beast, it was so easy to be goofy and happy right now without worrying how he was coming across.

Plus there was something lowkey hot about a girl taking charge like this, but he pretended he didn’t notice. Oliver cleared his throat and raised his right hand like he was swearing in at court, making sure he seemed extra truthful. “While impressing you is a nice bonus, I can honestly say that I never liked Helga.” Oliver grinned, not in any hurry to get out of the lasso of truth. “Anything else you want to ask while I’m at your mercy? I’m willing to answer anything except who I am and what my greatest fear is.”

Becca felt her heart soar when he didn’t seem opposed to the lasso -- finally, a situation where she’d taken control and it hadn’t gone completely haywire. It was a nice change after the last couple of months of worrying, and she’d think about what it meant longer term tomorrow... Tonight, she would have fun, feel good about herself, and keep talking to someone who helped with both of those things, whether he meant to or not. “Well consider me more impressed, then, that this is just the real, genuine you. You know, as genuine as one can be when their identity is hidden, at least.”

Becca shot him a wink, enthralled by being able to act so... different, from her normal self. Her boring self, that was probably how other people saw her, but this boy didn’t seem to think she was boring in the slightest. And she didn’t think he was, either; he was fascinating, and it was strange to think that she could probably talk to him all night and not run out of things to say. “Must be a pretty interesting fear, then. Would I get anywhere with you if I asked you to tell me your second greatest one instead?”

“You haven’t? Your friend is right, iconic is absolutely the right word. At this point it’s worth reading just because it’s a classic, even if it’s Joker-centric.” Oliver laughed when she said she stuck more to strong female heroes and nodded his chin at her outfit. “Yeah, I kinda figured. Not that I’m sure you wouldn’t look great in a Batman costume either, but you know. Repping Wonder Woman’s a power move.” It was great talking to someone else who thought about the characters in a plot - Oliver wasn’t good at a lot but he loved trying his hardest to follow a narrative, be it in a movie or a comic or even, sometimes, in a book. He wondered if that was a dead giveaway, but doubted it. A lot of guys liked comics. He could be Blake, off the top of his head, though he was sure wherever his friend was in the masquerade that his outfit was way more flattering.

He grinned at her warning, but it was an unnecessary one, and he shook his head even as she spoke. “Oh Beast, I never liked it,” he admitted, “but growing up and telling people you didn’t want Arnold and Helga to end up together? Was like social suicide. Who thought being anti-bullying would be such the unpopular opinion?” he laughed. “I’m just glad that just because people apparently liked it that most people don’t, you know, emulate it. I mean, if I wanted to get you to dance with me again, I know better than to pull your hair and call you…I can’t even come up with an insult to call you.” He smiled and bit his lip, looking down. He was talking too much, too too much. “Was, uh, that answer good enough to keep you as my personal hero for the evening?”

“I haven’t, I’m not an avid reader,” Becca replied immediately, in her mind silently adding of comic books so that she wasn’t a complete and total liar. “Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, Batman, that’s what I’d be saying all night long if I was dressed as Batman, and somehow I think the lasso’s much more fun.” She let one hand drop down from his neck to go to her waist, where the lasso that she was actually utterly useless at using hung by her side, fingering it for a second and deciding that his next answer would determine whether she let it stay there or whether she actually used it for something. At a close range like this she could easily just drop it over his head, and toy with him a little -- something the real Becca would normally never do, but it seemed like the kind of thing that people found sexy and mysterious.

Beast, did she want another boy to think she was sexy? The thought made her stomach drop, but at the same time, it was true, wasn’t it? Sleeping with Oliver had gone completely awry and she felt... gross, afterwards, somehow. Like a lot of her confidence had ebbed away. So when he answered her question and said he wasn’t a fan of couples who bullied, either, she used her hand to take the rope from her side and drop it around his neck, letting it fall at his shoulders, not pulling it any tighter. “Well, it was a good answer, but say it again with the lasso of truth around you,” she teased, her heart beating faster, nervous that he’d think she was a complete and total weirdo now. “You’re not getting away from that easily, but there’s something exciting about knowing I’m not the only person ever who thought Helga was completely terrible, I’d hate for it all just to be to impress me.”

He wondered briefly if Wonder Woman was going to bail when it became a slow song -  a girl as outgoing as her probably had a ton of friends to hit up - but he found himself sighing in relief when they transitioned smoothly into the slow song position. Oliver had been having fun, but he was still a little self-conscious and the idea of trying to build a rapport back up with someone else was a little daunting still. He’d become more of his extroverted self as the ball went on, he was sure, but for now he was happy where he was, placing his hands on her back, not placing them as low as he might if this were Becca. Thinking her name made him long for her company before telling himself she was probably having a good night without him, but he ran the risk of getting too caught up in his own brain and ignoring his guest, so he tried to shake it out of his skull.

“I used to reread the Killing Joke a lot when I was a kid,” he admitted. “I think it’s pretty easy in this world full of good to be confused and a little intrigued by the bad bad bad guys, but I’m glad I avoided dressing as him too. It might have drawn up a crowd more dude-bro than I would be willing to entertain,” Oliver joked.”I’m actually surprised not to see more Harleys! She’s super cool without her dude holding her back, and the costume is super iconic. I’d probably wear the red and black jester number though, and not the Daddy’s Little Monster shirt. If I dressed as a girl. Which I don’t.” He was about to call her Blonder Woman as they swayed to the music but he wondered if a pun was too Oliveresque. “I can’t believe so many people ship Harley and Joker,” he mused. “Pairings where the girl is mean to the guy people tend to kind of ignore, but when the dude’s a dick to the lady? People are supposed to be more upset about that, right?”

Becca appreciated the confidence that came along with wearing a mask -- with being a character from between the pages of a book or from behind a screen, instead of being herself for the evening. She didn’t particularly want to leave Westley anytime soon, knowing that the more she wandered, the more chance she had of awkward encounters; it was safer to stay right where she was. And it wasn’t a bad place to be, either. Selfish as it was, she missed being close to someone like this, even for something just as simple and peaceful as dancing. She wouldn’t even have minded if they hadn’t been having any conversation at all, just relaxing and enjoying the companionship of a stranger, although chattering away was just as nice, too, even if it did come with more risk of giving herself away.

“I actually haven’t read that one, though I have a friend who’s told me it’s iconic,” Becca confessed. “I stuck more to strong female heroes, I never really felt the need to foray into Batman on his own, I just found the Joker where things overlapped.” Was she fooling anyone, getting so excited over fictional characters like that? She didn’t know, but she was grateful for the broader topic to skip to instead, wanting to maintain her secrecy and her harmless fun for a while longer. “I don’t know, it totally bothers me when the girl is mean, too, I don’t think bullying is romantic at all, do you?” Remembering she was supposed to be a strong, confident Wonder Woman, she added, “And be careful what your answer is, the wrong one and you may need to find a new lady to save this evening for you.”

Oliver’s brows lifted with a pleasant surprise at the very feminist answer. This girl was clever. He was almost glad they were off to dance so quick, because he doubted he could’ve come up with anyone as clever in response, but of course when they were out on the floor, he just had to keep talking. He wondered if his identity would be better concealed if he just shut his mouth, but that was hard.

His eyes widened at the spin, unable to keep back an appreciative chuckle. If he’d tried doing something like that, he’d fall flat on his face and then everyone in the immediate vicinity would know who he was. “You’d be better off finding a Lois Lane for that, Miss Wonder. Westley doesn’t tell stories, he is stories,” he jested, “though I doubt you’ll have trouble finding people who find you compelling.” He hummed at the mention of Supergirl and found himself bursting into laughter when she was called “insufferable”. “I see! And here I was thinking it was some commentary about how blondes can be just as smart and strong as anyone else,” he joked, knowing blonde-discrimination wasn’t a real thing. “A very valid reason for a last-minute costume change. I feel it. I lowkey wanted to be The Joker for last Halloween in like the beginning of the year and then Suicide Squad came out and honestly it immediately fell into the ‘never’ pile. I’m glad you got to keep your costume in the super family, at least. Besides, if you were Supergirl you wouldn’t have a cool prop to literally lasso people into dancing with you. I should’ve brought a lasso, dang it.”

Becca felt herself buoyed by the fact that her companion seemed to find her amusing; she’d spent so much time lately being quieter than usual, getting lost inside of her own head... Tonight was like a gift from the universe, reminding her that it was okay to have fun, that she didn’t have to let her whole world fall apart just because she was apparently really terrible at sex, the number one thing in the world that boys supposedly liked. Maybe if Oliver broke up with her she could find a nice girlfriend instead or something, sex wasn’t as important to other girls, was it/ She had no idea -- she banished those thoughts from her mind, determined to keep having fun and to not let nagging worries creep in and ruin her night.

“I do like a good story, Westley, whether it’s mine or someone else’s,” she giggled, not minding one bit that he wasn’t a superhero. She’d only recently started reading graphic novels herself; she’d had more free time while she’d been avoiding being alone with her boyfriend, and she’d finally made good on her promise to herself to explore that medium more. Maybe it was good timing on her part, since it seemed another easy way to throw people off track of her real identity. The music shifted to a slower song and she didn’t even hesitate to slide her arms around her companion’s neck, not wanting to stop talking so soon after she’d found him in the first place. “Beast, the Joker’s horrible, I’ve read plenty of stories and he’s just... insane. Sadistic. Cruel. I’m very glad you avoided that, because if you hadn’t you might have attracted the most unsavory people in all of Auradon,” she laughed, adding, “Harley Quinn could have been another interesting costume, actually; perhaps I’ll file that away for another day. But only the version that’s happily dating Poison Ivy, she deserves to come into her own and be free of her abuser!”

It was crazy, how he had zero idea who this girl might be. Magic was kind of nuts - it made Oliver glad it wasn’t used on the regular, because it’d be really confusing. This girls’ blond hair made him think of his girlfriend, but to be honest, most things made him think about his girlfriend. That was something that hadn’t changed, no matter how much he felt like he’d ruined things. But tonight he didn’t have to be the Oliver that had screwed the pooch, non-literally. And hanging with someone who didn’t realize how weird he’d been lately was already spectacular, his heart feeling lighter as he took her hand.

His eyes widened with joy that she got the movie reference right on the first try. “Thank you!” he laughed, leading her to the dance floor. “And I get it. Why would Wonder Woman need more super in her life, she’s got it all already.” He was about to retroactively apologize for not being able to dance and stepping on her toes but that felt like too much of an Oliver move and so he just started moving, trying his best not to be off-beat. “So, Wonder Woman, why didn’t you wig up? Or are you wearing a wig and being blonde for a statement? Tell me everything, I swear I’m not on the school paper.”

Becca laughed at his retort, trying to imagine what someone else would say in response to his statement, to keep the air of mystery about her, to stick to playing a role rather than to being herself. “I’d hate to emasculate someone else who thinks they can save the world, I know how threatened you boys can be by a woman being better at what she does than you are. Little Zorro’s heart might not have been able to take it,” she giggled, thinking that Gwen would have been proud of her answer if she could have heard it.  And then they were off onto the dance floor, and if there was a lack of sure-footedness on her partner’s part, she didn’t notice it. It was hard to notice much of concrete detail at all, with the magic hanging in the air, keeping her giddy but never too focused on one thing for too long, lest she break through the charm and figure out too much. 

“Perhaps I wanted you to tell my story, Mr. Not-Reporter Westley,” she quipped, spinning out from him in a way that she wouldn’t usually try if she were being herself, and then spinning back towards him, a bright smile on her face as they resumed their dance. “Every superhero needs someone to share what they do with the world, although for tonight, I guess I can give you the exclusive even without anticipating you having a sudden career change tomorrow. The blonde’s not a statement of any sort; I had actually planned to be Supergirl and decided last minute that her television version is so... insufferable lately, that she wasn’t worthy of my imitation. Wonder Woman’s so much more aware of who she is, so much stronger and not afraid to stand alone, but it was a bit too late to buy a wig and well, dying my hair would have made it quite obvious on the morrow who I was.”

Oliver would’ve never guessed how much he and Becca had in common before they started dating, but once they had, it had become clear that holidays would be a huge part of their couple life. True, he was more biased towards Christmas, but Halloween held a special place in his heart. Unfortunately, this one felt more somber as it approached than he’d have liked it to. Ever since he and Becca had tried sleeping together and he’d failed miserably, it was almost like he was too ashamed to be himself in their relationship anymore. He was sure Becca could tell, and he was so scared that this might be their last Halloween together instead of the first of many. But at least it was a masquerade, and that gave him a chance to be someone else for a night. Not Shrek or a Minion or some other memey costume, that would be too expected - no, tonight, he donned all black and copied Westley from the Princess Bride, feeling cool and dark. The phrase “fake it till you make it” existed for a reason, right?

And it was easier to have fun than he thought. Oliver burst out laughing the second a lasso of truth came at him - he caught it in his hand, not wanting it to just fall off of him, and looked at the thrower with amusement. Dancing with strangers was the whole point of the ball, wasn’t it? And besides, he hadn’t worn his dancing shoes for nothing. With a smile on his face, he headed over to her and handed her back her prop. “Honestly? It’d be my pleasure.” He gave her a playful bow and held an arm out for her to take before adding, “But wait. Before we dance, you can tell I’m not Zorro, right?” he asked a little self-consciously, a few people having made that mistake already tonight. “Nothing against the guy, but that’s not me.”

Becca loved the fact that when the strangers eyes locked on her, there didn’t seem to be any recognition, any clue of who she might be -- she had to appreciate Fairy Godmother for that. She may use her magic sparingly, but when she chose to use it, Becca at least thought things turned out for the better. She’d forgotten what it was like to just meet someone new without feeling self-conscious, or pressured to be a certain way or expected to latch on to certain people by nights end instead, and it felt good to be able to just let her eyes roam over the person and take in their costume without worrying about Emma getting mad at her for looking at a boy who wasn’t Oliver, or without Persephone reading into her actions or... anything, really. When had life gotten so hard? It had felt so simple before.

“As you wish,” Becca teased in response to his question; she’d recognized the Princess Bride almost instantly, and started to blurt out that it was one of her favorite books... but that was such a Becca-ism, and tonight she got to be someone else. Tonight, she said, “I wasn’t looking for a Zorro anyway you were exactly who I was looking for,” before offering her gloved hand to him.

Living together is certainly exciting! If you enjoy his company that much then I can’t imagine how it won’t be grand for you; I wonder if sharing a room is more stressful, though. Has he seen you without makeup yet? Because that definitely adds to the stress levels, in my opinion. I walk outside sometimes, but I much prefer to take a car from place to place, and the windows on our cars are gloriously tinted to protect from the sun’s harsh waves. Honestly? I didn’t hate missing school so much. You might have been miserable but I don’t think there’s much for me to learn in that place. That does make me feel better, though, about the royalty status, although it shouldn’t; it’s not where you were born that defines you, I keep reminding myself, it’s where you end up, so if Kelsey marries a prince (or princess?) she’ll be fine. Ugh, fiiine, I’ll give it a try - if someone else writes something better though don’t hesitate to use it.

I think so! He’s been over at my house at like, all hours, David, and I’m not nearly so diligent about wearing makeup as you are. He thinks I’m beautiful no matter what; I’m not worried about that, although I’ll probably sneak out of bed to brush my teeth every morning for a while so that I’m kissable first thing and don’t have gross morning breath. You’ll like HIU much more, I think, where the curriculum is more varied and you’ll be able to choose your own classes, I’m sure there must be design ones. That’s quite a change in attitude from where you started, you know! I’m very glad you believe in people moving up in the world if the opportunity is presented to them, the open-mindedness looks good on you. I appreciate you saying that, too -- wow, David, have you been body-snatched? I don’t mean that unkindly, I’m just curious!

I want to get along with your dad, but the idea of buddying up to him before you do is lowkey creepy. You’re not doing anything wrong, Becks, maybe it’s just a dad thing? Maybe I’ll be a glarer the first time our kid has a boyfriend and maybe that’s just the circle of life! Richard and Jules have never had relationships so for all we know this is the norm. I have a feeling that even if it wasn’t scheduled we’d find time for that in our agenda… Ha, no, I like it! I mean, we’d have to be waaaaay worse before we reach Bill and Wlake levels, trust me. But prom coming up….. tell me more? If I ever run out of reasons for loving you, it’s the end of the world, I’m not kidding - people should be on the lookout for that because it means I’ve been bodysnatched and that an alien invasion is coming. Well…..she’s tiny and blonde and has the softest hands and most kissable lips in the world AND not only is she a bombshell but she’s kind of a genius and one of the only people in the world who can understand my weird brain. She’s kind of perfect, which makes her less of a type and more of one in a million, though, sorry.

What’s something both our dads like, that we could all four go do together? It’s too bad I’m no fun, they’d probably enjoy like... fishing, or horsebackriding, or playing frisbee or something outdoorsy and boy-friendly. For all we know, but I’m still very suspicious of Jules and Ali, don’t forget -- that’s a lead I need to follow up on this summer when I have more free time to spy on my sister. Well, prom is typically a big night for everyone, but couples most of all. I know some people say that the private after-parties are actually more important than the dance itself, and I know that um, there were some steps we were considering around Valentine’s Day that got a little sidetracked. Wow, she sounds very unique! You’re quite lucky to have found her, it sounds like she really appreciates just how wonderful you are.