Experimental Magic ✔

Painted in Gold

It was Friday afternoon and Misty had yet to receive any additional details about her and Scottie's "date." Scottie hadn't talked to her all day. She hadn't even seen him. She was slightly on edge, not knowing what to expect. She'd never even been on a regular date before, let alone one she'd been blackmailed into. Half of her wanted to find Scottie, so she could demand him to tell her exactly what he had planned. But the other half wanted to stay far away from him in hopes that she could avoid the whole thing altogether. In the end, the latter half won out. 

When the final bell rung, she hurried home, avoiding any and all contact. She didn't even wait for Millie. She just wanted to get home, jump in bed, and forget this ever happened. Maybe if she didn't see him and he didn't see her, he would forget too. 

As it would turn out, that was nothing but wishful thinking. She opened the door to her room, only to be hit with a glaring reminder that he most certainly had not forgotten. Standing before her was the most extravagant ball gown she had ever seen. Her heart stopped and her eyes practically popped out of their sockets when she saw it. It had to be from Scottie. It was too much of a coincidence for it to be from anyone else. But knowing it was from Scottie didn't make her any less confused. What could he possibly have planned that required a ball gown? 

On closer inspection, Misty saw there was a little note attached to the dress form. She quickly snatched the note, eager to see what it said. She was hoping for some sort of explanation, but she was disappointed by its vagueness. 

Misty sighed and dropped the note on her bed. She plopped down and rubbed her forehead as she wondered what she had gotten herself into. Of course, he couldn't just take her to the movies or something. He had to make a big show of it. With a dress like that, the night was bound to be anything but simple. 

She eyed the dress, looking it up and down and reluctantly admiring its delicate details. She never saw herself as the princess ball gown type, but she had to admit the dress was breathtaking. The creamy, champagne satin fabric was covered in intricate gold beading that danced around underneath her bedroom lights. It's sweetheart neckline dipped tastefully just below the collarbone and was complemented by off-the-shoulder puffed sleeves. The quintessential hoop skirt of the ball gown had a massive diameter rivaled only by Scarlett O'Hara. It was a thing of fairy tales. 

Misty took a deep breath, slowly unzipped the gown and carefully removed it from the dress form. When she stepped inside, the dress took on a life of its own. Without a touch, it cinched in around her waist and perfectly conformed itself to her body. Misty walked over to the mirror and ran her hands along the curves of her body, smoothing out the non-existent bumps. It fit like a dream. 

She was surprised and a little resentful at the giddy feeling she got from seeing herself in the dress. She was brought to the days of her childhood before everything went wrong. When she'd play dress up with Millie and Meadow and they'd throw their little tea parties. They'd chase Markos around the house, wrestle him to the ground and force a tiara on his head. He'd resist, but eventually they'd wear him down and he'd begrudgingly throw on a tutu and eat a cookie or two. Every once in a while, he'd even let them paint his nails. 

 Unable to resist, Misty gave the dress a quick spin. She let herself smile ever so slightly as the dress splayed out at the bottom as she twirled. When she stopped, she got a strange feeling of satisfaction from the way the dress curled around her and then bounced back into place. It was a feeling she hadn't had in a long time. 

When Misty looked back at the mirror, a message appeared in glitter cursive writing. As the message wrote itself it was accompanied by a magical, chiming sound effect. 

She turned around to see a gold, diamond encrusted tiara resting on a white velvet pillow. Intrigued and a little confused, she walked towards it and carefully picked it up. She turned it around in her hands, taking it all in. It was a little much, but she figured what the hell, might as well finish off the outfit. She placed it gently on her head and made sure it was perfectly straight.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Misty was zapped from her bedroom and dropped right at the top of a grand staircase. Rich, blue velvet carpet cascaded down the marble staircase. Dozens of white and gold roses wrapped around the mahogany railings, leading the way down. Candles flickered on each step and filled the air with the sweet smell of vanilla buttercream. 

More than a little confused, Misty looked around, trying to get her bearings. At first nothing popped out at her. But then she spotted a framed oil painting that she hoped would help her piece together where she was. At first glance, it looked like a family of some sort. She took a step forward to inspect the painting. She leaned in and squinted to get a closer look at the people in the picture and wait a second, she thought to herself, was that Thomas? And Scottie? Was this their house?

"You made it," Misty heard from behind her.

Misty whirled around to find Scottie waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. Dressed in a pristine black suit with a gold lapel and bow tie, Scottie licked his lips and smiled. He knew Misty would look beautiful, but his imagination didn't do her justice. Even his wildest dreams couldn't compare to the way she looked that night. The evening had barely begun and already he knew it would be perfect. 

***

Okay so this is what I envision when I think of Misty's dress. I think we can all agree she would rock the hell out of it 💁‍♀️👑