Prompt: Trucy seeks advice from one of the older female character about some high school topic that she knows would ping Phoenix's overprotective tendencies, like boys or the prom or the right time to put on makeup. Said older female character tries to give advice but realizes that she didn't have a "normal" high school experience or didn't go to high school altogether.

Notes: I had to role play with someone to get this right, but I had huge fun time writing this. To anyone who's in the same situation like Trucy here, I hope you take the advice by heart since it helped my friends get through high school, too.

Shopping for Prom Dresses

It was a normal Sunday morning when Iris accompanied Trucy to go shopping with her to search for prom dresses. The temple maiden was surprised about Trucy's request since Phoenix decided that his growing girl needed some time with female guardians as well. Mystic Maya's too busy with her duties as Kurain Master while Franziska's away on a trip.

It had been a few months since Iris was released from prison and she was happy for the fact that she got to spend some time in a place filled with a pleasant atmosphere, which was at the shopping mall.

"Hey, Ms. Iris..." Trucy began as she flipped through a rack of clothes.

"You know you can just address me as Iris, Trucy dear." Iris replied, taking a look at one of the dresses hanging on the wall.

"Well, I sorta wanted to ask some advice about... prom."

Iris stopped at the last word, "I'm not the best person to ask for advice, dear, regarding prom. I haven't experienced it myself."

"I know. Daddy told as much. He said that you spent your whole life serving in a mountain temple, right?"

"That's right."

"Well, just hear me out."

"Alright then," Iris smiled, choosing dresses in a nearby circular rack, "I'll be happy to listen."

"Well," Trucy started, holding out a black low-cut dress with beadings at the midsection, "what if no guys ask me out to dance?"

Iris picked out another low-cut dress that had a huge slit on the side, "You're a very pretty girl, Trucy. I'm sure a lot of boys would love to dance with you." She put the garment back in its previous place before perusing a different set of dresses.

"You should go tell that to them. I don't think they think I'm pretty."

"And why wouldn't they? You have your own show, you can do magic tricks, and you even helped out prosecutors and defense attorneys in their investigations. What's not to like about you?"

"Thanks, Iris," the magician smiled sheepishly but it soon vanished, "But I don't think that's what pulls boys in to dance with girls."

The shrine maiden stopped flipping at clothes and looked at her, "I'm curious as to why you see dancing with boys as such a big deal. Is it even mandatory?"

"It's not mandatory," the girl shrugged," I mean, you have to admit. It's part of prom. Prom won't be complete without it."

"Prom won't be complete without dancing with boys?" Iris grimaced, "I thought Prom was just about having a good time with your friends?"

"I guess it's a tradition to dance," Trucy explained, raising her hands in exasperation," I'm not always the independent girl Daddy always makes out to me. I'm not like others who don't mind sitting in the corner when the slow songs start playing. I want to feel that, too, you know? I want to feel that someone actually wants to dance with you even for just one night."

Iris faced a row of dresses, "Do you have a special boy in mind?"

"Um..." Trucy started to fidget, "This is embarrassing but yeah." The magician can't believe that she's starting to feel things like this.

"How about you go ask him instead? There's no harm in trying, dear." Iris thought that dancing with a boy shouldn't be that big of a deal. But then again, she had someone to be with every time she had problems. Sister Bikini always helped her. Iris realized that it's time she actually help someone too, whatever the problem may be.

"I'm afraid of rejection." The magician said flatly.

"Afraid of rejection?" Oh no, Iris thought. She shouldn't feel this way.

She held Trucy's shoulders firmly, "You're a strong and independent girl. I think you should be more afraid of not asking him instead. What if he actually wanted to dance with you and he's just too shy to ask?"

"I don't know. I... just don't want to feel alone again. My former Daddy left me so that I can be with my new Daddy..." Trucy looked away from Iris, "I don't want to feel the rejection again."

Iris glanced at the store. "You don't see anything you like, dear?"

The brunette looked at her in shock, "Did you even hear what I said?"

"I perfectly did," Iris replied as she looked at the shop across the store, "We can talk it over ice cream. I just want to make sure you found nothing you like here to we can stop and go to the parlor."

"Well," Trucy sighed," All of the dresses here are too sophisticated for my taste. Let's go get some ice cream."

"Let's go then."

Trucy ordered her favorite Triple Chocolate Fudge Mountain while Iris opted for a simple vanilla sundae. The two took a seat overlooking the place while they took spoonfuls of their dessert.

"Chocolate always perks me up. Thanks again for accompanying me Miss... I mean, Iris."

"I don't mind. It's the only thing I can do to pay your dad back," Iris smiled, "Don't you talk about these things with your father? He's your only parent after all."

"I'd love to talk about it with him, but..."

"But? I thought you were getting along so well?"

"We are! He's the best Daddy I could possibly ever have. But he doesn't like talking about those things, you see. It makes him think that I'm a child again. Or maybe he just doesn't understand what I'm feeling right now."

No wonder Phoenix asked for my help, Iris thought. He doesn't know how to answer these kinds of questions.

"The last seven years must have been hard for him to act like that," Iris muttered to herself," But enough about him, I'm concerned about you. You haven't talked to anyone about this, dear?"

"No. I pretty much keep this to myself since Daddy would just laugh at himself and ignore it. Polly would pretty much just tell Daddy about it and ignore it as well. Ema's no good either 'cause she's always busy doing cases for Klavier, who's pretty much away because of his upcoming tour."

"Don't you think you should focus on yourself more, anyway? It isn't all about the boys."

"But that's exactly what Daddy would say. I'm a good girl, I really am! I do well in class and I help Daddy with my shows. It's not too much to ask to just feel like someone appreciates Trucy, growing girl, instead of Trucy, magician girl."

A silence filled the two. Trucy continued in gobbling down her dessert while Iris laid her spoon down on the cup to think. She didn't know what to say after that outburst.

"I really can't give much advice since I... had never been to high school after all." Every word seemed heavy in her tongue. "Has your father ever told you about his college days?"

"Did something really cool happen?" Trucy's eyes perked up, suddenly forgetting about the stark atmosphere just a few moments ago, "He never talks about his past often because it brings back awful memories for him."

"I see…" Iris opted for a different approach, " Well, I used to have a college sweetheart back then before I was fully a shrine maiden."

"Really? Wow. I'm... surprised. More than surprised! Tell me more!"

"It's not my right to tell you the whole story but I'm willing to share the details I remember."

"This is surely a treat." Trucy's gaze focused on Iris now, chocolate sundae all but forgotten.

Iris laughed softly, happy that she somehow cheered Trucy up right away. "You can say that... it was like a fairytale. We were practically inseparable. We were the lovebirds of the campus. Everyone gushed about us every time we pass by other students around the university.

"But... you can say things got complicated. We got tangled up in a mess of lies and treachery to the point where we didn't where we were headed straight to."

"What happened next?"

"I left him," Iris exhaled and stared at her cup, "Left him alone in the dust. Left him screaming for a sweetheart who never came back. I was scared. We were in the middle of a giant mess and I didn't want to make it worse. I lost him."

"What mess was it? Please, tell me."

"I can't tell you the rest," She looked at the distance, remembering the events that transpired after that, "But that's not my point. What I want to tell you is that, if you ever have the chance to do something, do it.

"Because life offers us opportunities without us realizing sometimes. And I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest. So what if a guy doesn't dance with you? What matters is that you're happy and that you actually enjoy what prom has for you."

Iris held Trucy's hand, "You're a smart girl, Trucy, and I don't want you to repeat my mistakes."

The younger girl sighed as she stared into their hands, "I won't think about that anymore," she looked into Iris's eyes, "If' I'm happy then other people will be happy, right?"

"That's the spirit!" She stood up as she checked her purse once more. "Now, shall we go look for your perfect dress?"

"Yes please!"

The pair stood up and walked out of the parlor. As they were scanning the boutiques, Trucy took Iris's hand and smiled at her, "We were meant to live for something. I understand that now. Thank you very much, Iris."

"That's good to hear," Iris smiled back, "Any store you have in mind?"

"It's the first time I actually shopped for dresses so I don't know much. Lead the way!"

They walked away with light heart and a spring in their step. It was the best shopping Trucy ever had.