“For the interview portion of the pageant,” the judge repeats, the very saint of patience, “your question is, ‘What song would you dance to at your wedding?’ You may take a moment to consid – ”

“My wedding?!” she splutters. “What the f – "

Lilith’s glare could stop a charging rhino at twenty paces; from across the theater, it at least manages to halt Ani’s impending verbal train wreck. Her mouth snaps shut like a coin purse, thoughts rattling around like cold cash. Wedding. Wedding. If I got married – fat chance there – no, just think – god, this blows, I look like a tool, there's a fucking metal bird in my hair, I’m not even half as pretty as the other bimbos and that’s after five hours of professional help, what’s the point – stop. Just stop. You know why you’re in this. But what kind of question is this? Wouldn’t it depend on – yeah –

“It’d depend on who I’m m-marrying.” Ani stumbles on the word, and adds with a slight nervous grin, “And if that’s part of the pageant, I was definitely not informed.”

A faint laugh ripples through the audience, chipping a flake off the butterflies in her stomach. She tries not to think about how sweaty her palms are; beauty queens don’t sweat, they glow, or some shit like that. The same judge says serenely, “No, you will not be auctioned off if you lose. And you have a valid point; pretend, then, that you are marrying your sweetheart.”

Ani jingles awkwardly and barely restrains the urge to scuff at the ground. “Uh.”

“… Alright, take note, gentlemen, she’s on the market. For now imagine you’re marrying the person you’d like to be your sweetheart. Quickly, please, we’ve other contestants to get through.”

And she practically bites through her lip. She can’t even look Ginger in the eye, for god’s sake; she’s not about to admit feelings for him in front of hundreds of strangers. Well, I know one answer… but no, that’s obvious. That’s dumb. Aaaargh. Go for something generic, then, her mind yammers at her, something easy – what about Sakura? Everyone likes Sakura and it’s sappy enough. She opens her mouth.

“Sa – " And then her voice catches. Before she realizes what she’s saying, the words are out. “Sado Okase.”

The judges’ eyebrows uniformly shoot up, though most rein their surprise back in almost as soon as it shows. The conversational judge speaks after a pause. “ Sado Okase?”

Embarrassed, all Ani can do is nod.

“A song about separated lovers? Who can’t see one another? For your wedding?” another asks bluntly.

Ohhhh, she’s screwed it up now, she knows. They don’t like her answer, and she’s fidgeting and red-faced, and it’s all she can do to stammer, “Y-yeah.” Swallowing, she forces herself to continue. “It’s, um, it’s – it fits.”

They are not impressed.

“Because they made it work once, the – the people in the song,” oh shit, she’s babbling, and she can’t stop, there’s gotta be a way to save this - “and if it worked once it can work again, can’t it? S-sure they’re, well, I mean, one’s on the shore, one’s on Sado island, so maybe the sea’s between them now, but… well. I dunno. I guess – they’ll find each other again.”

Game over. The judges exchange looks for a long moment, then one nods to Ani. "Please begin your performance when you’re ready.”

-

Ani (c) meeee
Samurai Dueler's League (c)

_{(Fuck yeah new cintiq!)}

EDIT: Oops. Haha. As the fiendishly clever =mippins pointed out, I rather ironically gave Ani two left feet. Fixed now!

Also, detail shots here: [link] For the morbidly curious.