forget your troubles, happy days are here again / you better chase all your troubles away

[highf]

So here's what you missed on Glee:

After getting slushied in the face for years and dealing with Karofsky's bullying, Kurt's decided to take a few defense lessons from the Black Widow herself - ( "I... just wanted to say thank you, again, for letting me participate in this course, and how much I'm looking forward to future lessons. You kind of blew

Comments

[highf]

Although Kurt had long since mastered the art of hiding any prior knowledge he had about islanders, that didn't stop him from feeling giddy whenever a character that he loved happened to cross his path. Indeed, during the first couple of weeks of class, it had been impossible to do anything but stare at Gabrielle in glee, Kurt having been a longtime fan of Xena: Warrior Princess, and a fan of their friendship (potential subtext and all) especially. So to have her show up at the party, dressed with a modern look, only had Kurt pausing in a moment of barely contained excitement, before he finally struck out to greet and welcome her to the festivities.

"I'm so glad you could make it," he beamed as he nodded in greeting. "And that dress, wow. I was definitely hoping that someone would wear gold; it's so bold, but looks classic at the same time. Great choice, if I may say."

[itellthetaleof]

Not that Gabrielle would have cared but it was still probably a good thing for them both that she had been too engrossed in the class to notice Kurt’s attention. While she was used to Xena getting showered in attention, both good and bad, she didn’t know if she’d be comfortable having that kind of attention on her. Plus, she didn’t know anything about the TV show.

When Kurt came up to her, she could only smile and bite her lip bashfully. “Thank you for inviting me. And really, I can’t take any of the credit. I just go with whatever the box gives me. It’s definitely not anything I’d wear back home.” Then her smile brightened as she reached out to squeeze his arm. “Happy Birthday! This is certainly quite the themed party, though I wish I knew more what the theme was.”

[highf]

"Then the clothes box is clearly picking favorites, and I'm finding myself turning green with envy," Kurt replied in turn, though his smile brightened further still when Gabrielle wished him a happy birthday, a slight flutter in his stomach as he tried to calm his nerves. "But thank you for the well wishes, truly. I've been having quite a great deal of fun tonight, and it's only made better by all the people who decided to join me in the fun, so really, I could not be more grateful that you chose to spend your evening here."

Tilting his head and letting his hand rub at the back of his neck, Kurt tried to decide how best to explain the rest. "As for the theme," he began, halting slightly. "It's going to sound really strange without an actual reference or context, but the mafia is basically a crime syndicate. A group of criminals who work together, as a family, and lord over a region. Not behavior that we want to encourage, of course, but some of the fashions of the time were simply a sight to behold."

[itellthetaleof]

Gabrielle could only laugh at that idea. "It more likely it knows I don't know any better." Which was the truth. "And of course! I couldn't turn down an invitation like that! Not to mention, I was really curious about this game you've arranged."

She listened patiently, then nodded as she got what he was trying to say. "Alright, so, they're like modern warlords. I think I get it now." Then she looked around at the mentioned fashion. "Well, the fashion has certainly changed. If it were the warlords I'm used to, there's be more animal skins and leather."

[highf]

"Oh, Assassins is tons of fun," Kurt reassured her, clapping his hands for a brief moment, before realizing just how juvenile that probably seemed and quickly crossing his arms over his chest to keep from such an outburst again. "I mean, it's basically a game of strategy, and it keeps you on your toes. You never know who'll be out to hit you with a water balloon, and when people get caught off-guard, their reactions alone are pretty priceless. But ultimately, it's just an innocent bit of fun."

Resting his fingers by his lips and momentarily biting down on his pinky finger, Kurt then raised his chin to peer about, trying to imagine everyone in animal skins. "You know, leather... makes a comeback, definitely, on multiple occasions over the past decades," Kurt conceded. "Though admittedly, I'm not sure I've ever really seen it used for formalwear. Aside from shoes."

[itellthetaleof]

She didn't think it was juvenile at all and in fact loved his passion and enthusiasm for this game and this party. "Xena would say it would be a good training game." Gabrielle replied with a laugh, unable to help picturing Xena taking out half the participants on her own. "But it does look like a lot of fun. Maybe next time I'll play."

"And our definition of formal wear was a bit different from yours." She pointed out, clearly teasing. "It was lots of jewelry and whatever smelled the least."

[highf]

"Xena being a friend of yours, I imagine," Kurt replied nervously, unsure how much enthusiasm was apparent in his countenance, how overenthusiastic he possibly seemed in the moment. The last thing that he wanted to do was to make her uneasy, or otherwise learn of the fact that a whole slew of people on the island probably knew where she was from, and the path that her life took over those years. "Does Xena happen to be... on the island? Here at all?" He glanced around briefly, careful with his wording, not wanting to lie but similarly not wishing to alarm.

"Oh, and believe me, jewelry is normally quite the component in our formal wear. Only I don't think the clothes box complies quite as easily when we request diamonds and other jewels."

[itellthetaleof]

"Oh yes." Gabrielle said a bit apologetically. She forgot sometimes that not everyone knew who Xena was here on the island when she spoke about her friend. It was just natural for her. "She's my best friend back home. Sadly, she's not here. I'm so used to her being around that even a year later I forget." And really, it was hard not to keep the disappointment out of her voice at that.

But she was quick to laugh again. "I wish jewelry was as elegant as I've seen here. That was reserved for royalty and priestesses in the temples. Most jewelry were beads, teeth or feathers." She thought back to some of the things she'd seen in the Amazon village and reconsidered. Some of the pieces she'd there had been amazingly beautiful.

[highf]

Kurt laughed weakly, shaking his head, thinking of the people he personally still hadn't grown accustomed to not seeing on a daily basis. When he tried to think about staying on the island for so long, for a year or more, well. While it hurt to think of his father every single day, Kurt couldn't help feeling that he'd prefer to keep to that on the whole. Because holding onto the painful memory was better than even considering the thought of letting his father go. "I... imagine I'll be in the same boat for some time to come, then. I've only been here for a few weeks, but just- letting people go is still not something I've perfected."

Wanting to move away from the topic as soon as he could, Kurt arched a brow. "Feathers can be made extremely elegant; I should show you, sometime. Admittedly, I'm not sure that teeth would have much of a place in my personal style, but then again, you never know."

[itellthetaleof]

"Let them go?" Gabrielle cocked her head, wondering why he would say such a thing. "Why would you do that? I don't think I could let Xena go if I tried." She ducked her bashfully before she admitted softly, "I have a journal where I write letters to Xena, telling her about everything I've learned and seen on the island. I hope...I hope one day I can show it to her."

But she was more then happy to leave the topic as well. "It's too bad I'm not the best with clothes or I'd try and emulate some of the clothes the Amazons wear. They managed to make both teeth and feathers look majestic and strong." Then she laughed. "Well, my sense of style is hundreds of years out of date."

[highf]

"Because sometimes holding on is too painful," Kurt blurted, quiet, before quickly shaking his head and refusing, steadfast, to dwell on the matter. The last thing that he needed was to lose himself in thoughts of his mother, in how dearly he wished that she could be by his side. He'd thought, on occasion, about the possibility that she could make it onto the island, and how dearly he'd want to stay with her for it. But it just wasn't worth it.

It just wasn't worth pinning one's hopes on a star so high.

"Anyway, if you're looking for a stylist, believe me, makeovers and wardrobe design are what I live for," he breathed, letting himself get lost in the idea of dolling Gabrielle up instead. "So, if you're ever interested, all you need to do is say the word."

[itellthetaleof]

Gabrielle sensed there was more behind Kurt's admission but she wasn't about to pry. Instead, she reached over and gripped his arm in a comforting touch that turned into a quick hug.

Hope was essential, no matter how high it was. Sometimes, hope was all Gabrielle had and it hadn't completely failed her yet.

And now that he mentioned it, she was curious. "Really? I mean, I never really had to care about that kind of thing but I admit I'm curious. I wouldn't want to put you out though..."

[highf]

"Are you kidding me?" Kurt asked, more as an expression than as a question that he actually intended to pose. The very thought of saving Renée O'Connor from the countless fashion crimes she'd committed in later years was one that had Kurt positively glowing, giddy, knowing that he'd manage to stay true to Gabrielle's more positive nature, but her warrior cunning nonetheless, already trying to picture how certain hues would look against her complexion.

"It would be my absolute pleasure. I mean it when I say that this is the sort of thing I live for, this and the theater, so we should set up a date, maybe a couple of weeks from now. Give the clothes box ample time to prepare for the absolute mess I'm going to make of it."

[itellthetaleof]

"No, I'm not." Gabrielle understood the question had been rhetorical but she couldn't help answering with a bright smile, glad to see him to excited at the prospect and that she could do this for him. "We can talk after class one day, whenever you're ready."

[highf]

"I'll look you up," Kurt reassured with a grin and a slight bow, before tilting his head towards the rest of the party. As much as he wanted to stop with every one of his friends and give them the whole of his evening, there was a part of him made slightly anxious by the crowd, not wanting to leave a single person ungreeted. Considering how many folks there were, it was a fairly tall order.

"And if you'll excuse me, I need to continue making my rounds, but," he said, tilting his head. "But, with any luck, I'll be back before you know it. Because we don't get to hang out enough, so I'm... glad that we've got the chance to start."

With a widened smile, Kurt let out a content exhale before heading in the opposite direction with a small wave.

[itellthetaleof]

Gabrielle just shook her head and made a shooing motion. "Go be a good host. I'm not going anywhere for the rest of the night." No, she planned to enjoy the party and talk to as many other attendees as possible.

But she too was glad to finally really get to talk to Kurt outside of class and returned his wave as he moved off.