==

Writing as approved Durmstrang iNPC Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky

May 6th, 2023
Afternoon/evening, before dinner
Solo

The dress had arrived by owl as requested and it had been lying draped over Slava’s trunk across the room for the past two days. This felt like a big deal, but it wasn’t really, was it? It was just fun and games, right? Yet something about how he had specifically requested it to be sent rather than just trying on a dress belonging to any old girl who was roughly the same size as him made him feel like this was more of a momentous event. Typically, Slava was bubbly and carefree, and he wanted people to like him but ultimately had enough self-confidence to not mind when people disliked or judged him. But this was a different thing altogether to be judged by. The thumping in his chest and the slight furrowing of his eyebrows indicated that, today, he was not feeling quite as carefree or confident as he normally did.

Even though he was alone in his room and no one else would have to see, he felt somewhat ashamed, staring at the garment from across the room, a slight frown on his face. Boys weren’t supposed to wear dresses. But the people who said that also said that men were meant to be strong providers and not show emotion, and he knew for a fact that he didn’t believe in that. He loved to tell people how much he loved them and openly show affection and joy, and when he or other boys failed or showed weakness, he didn’t think any less of them. People weren’t meant to be emotionless and perfectly strong and always positive or cold. So couldn’t that mean that those ideas of masculinity were wrong, and he could be just as much of a man if he wore a dress?

This was silly. This was so silly. He should just pack it up and send it back, but some part of him desperately wanted to try it. His feet seemed to act of his own accord, and within seconds, he was standing in front of his trunk. He picked the dress up, running the smooth fabric through his hands. What was the harm in trying it right here, right now, where no one could see but him? He believed in vivid self-expression, and how could he expect to fully express himself if he didn’t try more of what was out there? Besides, if he didn’t like it, he could just put it away, forget all this ever happened, and nobody would ever have to know. But maybe, just maybe, trying this could be fun. He took a deep breath and knocked on his head playfully. He had to recenter himself and stop overthinking. This really wasn’t such a big deal. He was Slava, carefree and bold, whose name meant glory. Surely he could manage something as trivial as wearing a dress with confidence.

He grinned and changed quickly, slipping the dress on. It felt different to his usual clothes, given that it was flowy and looser. He headed over to the mirror, striking a pose and laughing. I look beautiful, he thought, playfully winking at himself in the mirror. He grasped the fabric of the skirt area in his hands, testing how it moved, and then dropped it to twirl. Whoa. He twirled again, giggling, loving the way it felt when the fabric flew up in a circle, flaring out. “Whoooosh,” he said aloud, idly narrating the feel. It just felt right to say. Man, I should’ve tried this sooner, he thought. This is fun. He knew Max would support him, and likely some of his friends, but he wondered what others would think. He didn’t know whether he would ever have enough self-assured confidence to fearlessly stand in front of other people dressed like this, but that was a concern for another day. For now, he could just enjoy the moment, as long as he put the dress away before dinner.