For once, Laveau had a night where the blood on people’s clothes was mostly fake, the monsters were there by choice, and nobody needed to call the Sheriff department just because someone started screaming. Progress, really.
The Zombie Prom brought together residents and visitors for an evening of music, dancing, Halloween costumes, and enough fake blood to make a butcher reconsider their career. Guests embraced the theme with varying degrees of commitment. Some looked like elegant undead aristocrats, others appeared to have lost a fight with a cemetery, and a few seemed as though they’d simply rolled out of bed and decided that death was a perfectly acceptable fashion statement.
The venue filled with zombies, ghouls, bloodstained outfits, eerie contact lenses, and the occasional face that was arguably more frightening without the makeup. People danced, posed for photographs, enjoyed the refreshments, and caught up with familiar faces. For a few hours, at least, the biggest threat in the room was the possibility of someone stepping on a rotten-looking foot.
Even more encouraging was the number of guests who had travelled from beyond Laveau to join the festivities. Visitors from other areas mingled with locals, proving that the town’s reputation hasn’t completely scared everyone away. Either that, or the promise of a good party is stronger than common sense. Whatever the reason, it was good to see people crossing town lines for something other than trouble, revenge, or a questionable business deal.
Of course, no prom would be complete without a little competition. Guests had the chance to vie for the titles of Prom King and Queen, because apparently even the undead need validation. Crowns were up for grabs, egos were presumably at stake, and everyone had an opportunity to prove that, even after death, popularity contests remain tragically alive.
When the votes were counted, Merrick Ashwood was officially named Prom King, while Nikolai Reznichenko claimed the title of Prom Queen. A fitting result for an evening that proved you don’t need to be traditionally dressed or even particularly interested in playing nice to earn a crown. Nikolai collected his crown in a gorgeous red dress and reminded everyone that royalty comes in many forms. Some might even say the undead have better fashion sense than the living.
But the night’s biggest surprise had nothing to do with costumes or traditional crowns. In a moment that managed to outshine even the evening’s most elaborate undead transformations, Merrick Ashwood took to the stage, called for everyone’s attention, and produced a ring box. Then, in front of the assembled crowd, he dropped to one knee and asked Noah Montalli to marry him.
Romance, it seems, is alive and well. Which is mildly inconvenient for the evening’s theme, but we’ll allow it. Noah’s immediate answer made it clear that Merrick hadn’t just staged the most dramatic proposal of the season for nothing. Nothing says romance quite like getting engaged at a party where half the guests look freshly exhumed. Merrick celebrated his double victory of crown and ring with all the pride one might expect from a newly engaged cowboy. And honestly? We could use more of that.
The Ledger spends much of its time reporting on violence, disappearances, criminal activity, and the many creative ways Laveau finds to make a bad situation worse. It’s practically a miracle when we can write about an event without needing to mention a body count. So, for a change, here’s a story that doesn’t end in an investigation, a threat, or someone being advised to watch their back.