Bal: a King and his queen

Presents

*later while everyone's gotten busy with all the dancing and partying the group slip out to give Mal her presents*
Evie: so you having fun birthday girl?
Mal: yeah, a lot more than I thought I would
Evie: good, now presents before people notice you two are gone
Mal: E it's a party, they're more likely to miss you than us
Doug: true
Evie: whatever, so obviously I'm second place for presents right? I mean you like the dress yeah?
Mal: I love it
Lonnie: what did Ben beat it with?
Mal: you'll find out soon enough
Lonnie: mysterious
Evie: Doug you go first!
Doug: uh okay
*he grabs the present from him off the side and hands it to Mal*
Doug: I didn't really know what to get so I went with the default option
Mal: sounds good to me
*she opens the box to find a set of really nice paints and some fantastic paintbrushes, Mal smiles at how hard Doug is trying to be good sm friends, she has the distinct feeling they'll be joining her in the world of engagement soon enough*
Doug: I remembered overhearing you tell Evie that your brushes were getting tattered so I just thought
Mal: they're great, exactly what I wanted, thanks Doug
Doug: anytime
*jay and Carlos step forward, wrestling each other a little, Mal couldn't tell if it was a fight to go first or to not go first but she didn't really care*
Jay: we kinda came together with this idea
*he hands her a box, she opens it to find a pair of really cool combat boots with an edge that she'd only ever seen on the isle of the lost, a little battered, just the way she liked her combat boots*
Mal: these are perfect, battered but not destroyed like my current pair, I love them, now I don't have to wear prissy shoes anymore
Ben: I thought you liked your shoes
Mal: I do....but these are black and they're boots and leather and I don't risk falling over in them
Ben: yeah they are cooler
Carlos: and there's this
*he hands Mal the other box and she opens it some little healed ankle boots, still a little edgy but half way between punk and preppy which was where she currently found herself*
Carlos: the more appropriate choice for he future queen of Auradon
Chad: what?!
Lonnie: what?!
Ben: oh did I forget to mention, I may or may not have people's this minding, may being the one that happened
Lonnie: woah
Mal: I love them, Hank's guys, I promise to up what I got you guys last year
Jay: last year you pranked me for my birthday
Mal: then I gave you a present
Carlos: wait she pranked you? I got a puppy
Jay: seriously?!
Mal: maybeeee
Jane: my turn!
*she thrusts a wonderfully tidily wrapped parcel at Mal who opens it to find a book*
Jane: it's from me and my mom, it's an advanced spellbook, mom said you've been getting really good
Mal: thank you, tell your mom I said thanks as well
Jane: I will
*mal then goes on to open a present containing a pretty necklace with her name on it, she thanked her gracefully, next was Chad, she hadn't been expecting anything so when he produced a little box she felt rather touched, she opened it to find a vintage camera as Mal's recently taken up hobby was photography (she was bringing out her artistic visions she told them) she thanked him profusely and they shared a slightly awkward hug, finally it came to Audrey, Mal opened the small box to find a very elegant but cool charm bracelet, after giving her thanks and a few minutes of chat the rest of the group found their way back into the ballroom while Mal and Ben remained outside*
Ben: have you had a good day?
Mal: yeah
*she rests her head against his chest, it had been a busy day and she felt the extreme need to sleep for as long as possible, as Ben looks up a small box left on the table where the presents from her friends where was still on the table*
Ben: there's still one more present here
*she lifts her head as he grabs the box from the table*
Mal: from who? I've already opened all the guys' presents
*ben takes the tag as he hands Mal the box, she opens it to find a beautiful heart shaped locket, be reads the tag as she picks it up out of the box*
Ben: Dear Mal, Happy 19th Birthday, with love, from.....
Mal: from who?
Ben: belle and beast.......
Mal: your parents?
Ben: I don't understand, they had forgotten, they must've sorted it out ages ago or had lumiere sort it out for them
*mal opens the locket and stares at the picture inside*
Ben: what is it?
Mal: the one from our anniversary, you know where we were supposed to take a properly posed photo but you said something absolutely ridiculous as usual and we both burst out laughing as the picture was taken, you were hugging me and we were just laughing together, it was so natural
Ben: I love that one, it's on my nightstand
Mal: can you put it on for me?
Ben: sure
*he carefully moves her wavy locks out of the way as he puts it on then gently pulls them back out over the chain*
Ben: does this mean we forgive them?
Mal: do you want to? I'm not going to hold it against them but  it's your choice, you seem to be more offended by it than I am
Ben: I think I wanna be mad for a little longer, I can't just forgive what they said and did, I love you more than anything in this world and they hurt you, they upset you and that is not okay with me or in general, I want you to be happy all the time, I know that's pretty much impossible but I can keep pretending to help me sleep at night
Mal: okay just tell me when you're ready to forgive them
Ben: thank you for just taking my side without question
Mal: that's what I'm here for, you'd do the same if it was reversed
Ben: I love you, now let's get back and enjoy what time we have before our big announcement
Mal: not anticipating a good response
Ben: I have no idea but I expect you'll want a few more dances as just the Kings fm girlfriend as opposed to the future queen
Mal: good point let's go

----------------------------------------------

Here we go, into the eye of the storm, will everyone make it out alive? 😂😂 xoxo