⋆✦⭒𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐗⋆✧⭒

𝟬𝟯𝟲 𝗁𝗎𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗂𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖺𝗌𝗌𝖺𝖼𝗋𝖾𝗌

┊𖤐₊˚. ࿐ྂ。Up in the main dressing room of the theatre, which was positively stuffed with fourteen beauty queens, and their support teams, Stella modelled her first outfit of the night, a simple pink halter-neck dress that all the contestants were required to wear for the introductory parade.
“Kinda boring,” Stella sniffed, looking down at yourself.

“You look great though,” Bloom assured her quickly, reaching for the curling iron to fix a few. Being here kind of made the girl more excited than she should have been. She had watched so many movies of beauty pageants but actually being backstage in during one was kind of fun.

After the introductory parade, the pageant was broken down into four sections, the swimsuit competition, the evening wear section, and then finally the talent competition, which was immediately followed by the question section.

Flora suddenly came rushing back into the dressing room, clutching a small pot and brush. She had disappeared some time ago after reassuring Stella that she had something that could clinch the win for her friend. “What have you got there?” Stella asked.

“A fresh botanical beauty booster. It’s from one of my favourite stores. This will maximise your natural beauty. But it might sting a little,” she warned Stella, who shook her head flippantly.

“Fret not,” she said, sinking into a chair in front of a light-up mirror.  “You’re talking to a girl with many years of pluck and groom experience.”

Flora got to work, dusting Stella’s face, throat, and collarbones with the beauty boosting powder. 

“We’re missing a contestant,” Tecna muttered, scanning the list she’d downloaded on her phone. “I’ve accounted for all but one.”

Stella had done a lap of the room before, greeting many girls she’d come up against in previous competitions. There were girls who held titles with their home realms, as well as ordinary residents from all over the realm of Magix.

“I saw one go outside before,” Bloom continued. “Maybe it was her.”

“No, I saw her go. We’re definitely missing someone.”

The door to the dressing room opened and the room went quiet. They glanced up to see a man who had to be the host judging by his dashing white suit, and a girl standing meekly behind him.

“Ladies,” he said in his best presenter voice. “I wanted to come by and wish you the best of luck. But also to tell you we’ve unfortunately had a contestant pull out.  Never fear, Miss Popularis was in the neighbourhood and was delighted to compete in her place. Again best of luck ladies. The curtain rises in 20.” The host beamed a final time and left, leaving the poor girl to a den of hungry wolves.

“I didn’t know Popularis had beauty pageants,” Stella said, eyeing the girl. “I thought they were all too busy being nice to each other to have competitions.”

Bloom detected an undercurrent of worry from Stella but she honestly couldn't blame the blonde. The contestant from Popularis was absolutely gorgeous, with long black hair, a delicate face, and pretty, dark eyes. Bloom felt inferior to the girl.

A shriek from outside suddenly interrupted the room’s analysis of Miss Popularis, and while most went right back to work, the newest contestant hurrying over to a free mirror; the five best friends  all dashed outside to determine the source. Outside a worried looking girl was trying to console her friend who was crying loudly into her hands.

“I’ll never win now,” the girl - one of the contestants Bloom realised -  cried and Bloom fought the urge to put her hands over her ears. Something had happened to the girl’s voice to make it go all shrill and painful, at least to those who had to listen to her speak.