The Heart of Pleasure
By Haunter Rayne
Ch 110 - Passion's Debut

As Rayne walked with Luna down the hallway, trepidation seemed to build with every step. He was unfamiliar with the upstairs passageways in the castle and several of the inner guard looked at him with surprise as he was clearly not supposed to be there. His only saving grace was that all the while they traveled, Princess Luna still had not released her hold on his hoof.

"Leave us at once." She hastily barked toward a pair of guards once they were approaching a large set of dark oak doors. "Go and guard the hallway instead." She ordered and the two dark stallion's gave unsure expressions toward Rayne before slowly trotting down the corridor as they were instructed. However that was when Luna paused before placing her hoof upon the door and saying, "Now Rayne, I have confidence that thou can be trusted to not enter a lady's bedchamber with anticipation in his heart?" She queried to him.

Rayne gulped and nodded to her. He wanted to answer calmly but his mouth ran dry after realizing where he was. "Y-yes." He mumbled before running his tongue between his lips and answering, "I mean of course. Whatever is thy lady's wish."

Luna seemed to smile at that. "Whatever is my wish? How elegantly put, Rayne." She smirked, giving the stallion the impression that he was being tested on something but not revealing whether or not he was passing by her opinion.

Throwing open the doors Luna walked freely into her personal domain. The room was beautifully decorated and themed much to the likes of what Rayne would have expected for the princess. The carpeted floor was dark with wide swirl patterns. Around the walls were lamp posts seemingly styled after the branches in the Everfree Forest. The lampshades were a pearly white, reflecting a glow about the room to match the stars which would soon be visible from the wide open windows. Then further on yielded yet another balcony right off from her bedroom. But as the centerpiece was a large crescent moon bed with star patterned silk sheets and a starry canopy curtain.

"Ahem." She called to him, pulling his gawking away from her private chambers. "This is not an invitation for thee to go peering about, Rayne. You may stand there." She softly reprimanded him as she pointed towards an open space not far from the doorway.

With a nod Rayne stepped to where she had directed. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me for staring." He said as she walked over to a vanity that was on the opposite side of the room.

After motioning with a hoof for him to turn around she called out while beginning to brush her mane for the long night ahead. "Oh? And just what were you staring at, Rayne? Does it come as a treat for thee to look upon the privacy of my room which no normal citizen would get to gander at? Or was it I, whilst my back was turned, that you found your gaze to linger on?" She asked while the stallion stood facing the wall away from her. Luna's eyes never wavered from where she watched carefully in the mirror to see if he would dare glance back at her.

Meanwhile Rayne was far too clever to make that mistake, needless to mention that he could see her anyway through the Chimera's shadow beneath him. "Well Princess, to answer you honestly it is as I said… I'm sorry."

With his back turned to her Luna allowed herself to blush a bit, not missing his flirtation of calling her someone who would be worth lingering upon. Clearing her throat and trying to not allow her smile to be heard through her voice she said, "So… you've finally decided to visit me then? It has been days since the gala you know. I'm curious as to what you could have come here for now." She asked him with an indifferent tone to her voice yet without losing the royal assertive attitude of her body posture.

"Alright, keep it cool Rayne." He thought silently to himself. "Remember, she's not just your romantic love interest… she's a princess. Don't disrespect her." After mulling his thoughts over for a moment he bent his ears down low when she glanced over at him for not having answered her. "Forgive me if in my absence I have kept you waiting. I'm sure that many were weary after a long night of dancing and I decided to offer you the same respect. But I am here now for as long as it should please your ladyship."

"Yes… you are." Luna muttered, sounding just a bit distracted while applying her mascara to finish her makeup as she contemplated his reasonings. Turning in her seat to face him now she asked, "Why are you here, Rayne? Really?" After clearing her throat he gave a quick glance back over his shoulder and she nodded to him. "Well? How do I look?"

With a smirk he commented, "No more, or less beautiful to me than you were just a few minutes ago." He wasn't surprised when she baulked at his response. But before she could reply he added, "But you look much more appropriate for being seen in public if that is what you're asking. As always your appearance is flawless, your highness. The care that you take in yourself definitely shows and should be appreciated."

Luna did blush but after his comment she stomped her hoof in frustration and angrily stood from her seat to step away from him. "Now that is enough! We do not normally protest about such things as being royal versus being one of the citizens, but you forget your place speaking to me so freely. We demand that you stop flirting with us this instant." She huffed in a voice that was soft spoken, allowing her words to carry their own weight.

Rayne stared at her with a bit of surprise but then closed his eyes before lowering himself in a full body bow before her. "Your highness." He said reverently to which Luna immediately looked saddened as this was not what she had wanted either.

"Rayne, please stand up…" She sighed and then trotted nervously a bit. "Do try not to take this as any form of admonishment... but I admit I find myself feeling very uncomfortable around you." She told him, clearly struggling to find the right words to say with every breath. "It isn't normal for one to be so brazzen about flirting with a member of royalty. It isn't that your praises are unappreciated but I'm simply not used to it. And I am uncertain about what it is that you expect me to say in return."

With a compassionate gaze to his eyes Rayne spoke to her. "Princess Luna? If I may?" He asked gently before continuing with, "I didn't come here to make you feel uncomfortable or to waste your time filling you with empty compliments, when I'm sure that one such as yourself already knows how amazing that you truly are. But I did really wish to spend more time with you at the gala, hoping to just talk with you and getting to know you." He revealed, dropping his romantic cadence for a tone that reflected as more genuine.

"Oh?" Luna questioned, suddenly seeming to adopt a mischievous air about her. "Is that all you wanted? Because from what I remember your requests of me had been far less platonic at the time." She teased to which Rayne had to smile and roll his eyes with a guilty expression.

"Alright, you got me. I admit that with the romance of the gala and after seeing you in that stunning gown you were wearing I was hopeful that I could get away with just a bit more." He grinned to which she scoffed and waved him off. "But I do wish that the night could have lasted longer. I didn't get to ask you about so many things that I wanted to know."

Now he seemed to have gained Luna's interest. Even as she turned away from him, she glanced back with one ear raised and curiously spoke from over her shoulder. "Such as?"

Rayne didn't worry about where his excitement would lead him now as he ranted off, "Well, for one I wouldn't mind knowing what life is like for you. Everypony has this image of what royal life must be like, being catered to by staff or perhaps being burdened with the responsibility of leadership. But I would be interested to know how you feel. Are you happy? Are you lonely? Did you even want to be royalty when you were young or was it thrust upon you?"

Luna stared at him and blinked for a moment. "My… Rayne, what curiously personal thoughts thou has about me. I must admit I am surprised."

However the stallion went on asking. "And, what is your schedule like as a princess? Are you always so busy as one might expect? Is there a regular leisure time that you enjoy or are you actually burdened with your responsibilities from when you wake to when you rest?"

"Uh… Rayne!" She gasped as his forwardness. "Even were I so inclined to answer that, why ever should you wish to know these things?!"

"Because…" He began, lowering his voice to a gentler and more meaningful tone. "When I properly ask for the next time to be able to see you I do not want for it to be a burden to you." He paused there despite how she clearly stared at him with anticipation for him to go on.

"What do you mean?" She asked, bending her ears and turning now to face him properly.

"You are a princess… and I respect that you are busy. And I know I came here unannounced to see you tonight. I am not so arrogant as to think that I'm not keeping you from something else that you would likely be doing now had I not arrived. But I didn't get to ask you at the gala when would or wouldn't be a good time to visit you. Could you believe my nervousness that I felt just to be here? The fear that I dwelt upon wondering if you were only being polite during a social event and perhaps would be dismayed should I actually call upon you for a visit in private?" He stopped to slow his temperament so as to not make the surprised looking mare feel that she was being reprimanded or anything.

"Well no, I hadn't considered that."

"I chose this time, knowing that either dawn or dusk would likely be the most convenient times to see you." He said while trying to sound considerate. "I wouldn't of course disturb you whilst you are working for the dreams of ponies everywhere. But evening time sounded more plausible to visit you just after you'd woken up. I assumed that in the morning you may be weary from your efforts spent all evening long in the realm of dreams." He stated with a gentleness about him which she openly seemed to appreciate.

"That is… remarkably kind of you, Rayne." She admitted and the smile on her lips gave the stallion no small amount of joy to his heart. "But why though? Why are you so interested in me? Why bother to go to all these lengths just to get to know me at all?" She asked while sitting patiently and seeming to genuinely want to know the answer to this question.

Now Rayne paused as he looked to her for a moment. "In truth, I had no idea what would actually happen once I finally had the opportunity to get close to you." Rayne said to himself in his thoughts. "But I can't help but feel that being honest right now is the best thing that I can do for her." His mind continued, considering how well being truthful had worked for him in the past. Looking thoughtfully to Luna and staring into her round cyan eyes he told her, "It is because I desire to be close with you. I want to get to know you Luna and hopefully find a bond that could possibly grow between the two of us. I would like to become somepony who is important to you and who can be there for you like how you are there for so many others in their time of need. And in time, maybe your special somepony, if you would allow me to be."

Luna just stared while listening to him make his response. Her expression seemed stiff and even after he had finished she looked ahead as if expecting there to be more. Although when no more came from the stallion's response she suddenly frowned before growling out rather caustically. "WHAT?!"

"Oh shit…" Rayne thought to himself in surprise. "That was definitely not the right thing to say just now!"

Storming up toward him until she was backing him toward the door she shouted out, "Hath thy completely lost all of thine senses?! You are seriously proclaiming to me here, now, that your desires for my hoof were serious?! Rayne, I bade thy interest to be from the romance at the gala! Not as a serious proposal at proper courtship! I am a princess! And even more so you have the audacity to address me informally by name?!" She yelled at him.

"Oh shit, no! Wait, I didn't… crap I totally did do that didn't I? I didn't even realize…" His thoughts continued to ramble on as Luna looked properly furious with him now, stomping even harder with her hooves with each and every step.

"What is it, Rayne?! Did you expect yourself able to simply waltz into the castle from off the street and just sweep a princess off her hooves? Hath thou been delusioned by some fairytale to which you had hoped I were to play a part of?!"

"Luna, no I-, I mean Princess… your highness, I didn't mean for-"

"You don't what, Rayne?!" She lowered her head gazing up at him in inquisitional fury as his back suddenly struck against the wall of her bedroom. "What did you expect was going to happen, Rayne?" Suddenly though her tone fell from insulted rage to what he could only describe as the soul crushing sadness that comes from facing reality. "What did you really come here for? Did you honestly believe that I would really just run away and go on a date with you? What is it that would make you think you could ever sway me to partake in such frivolity with you?"

"Well… nothing, princess." Rayne said to her with sincerity.

Luna froze as his sudden words were the last thing she had expected him to say. Luna stopped her reprimanding of him and instead listened carefully as once again this mysterious stallion caught her by surprise like nopony ever had before.

"There is nothing that I could claim to make me think that I would be worthy of you. You are so amazing Luna… You're so kind and I believe that you truly are more powerful than you know. Not just in magic but in how warm your heart is and how you always give without allowing yourself any room to be loved in return. When was the last time you allowed another pony who wasn't your sister to just do something nice for you? I wasn't here to ask you on a date, Luna. All I wanted this evening was to show up and offer to do for you something that would make your night a little easier before you set off to work in the dreams of ponies."

Now Luna felt stunned. If this had been coming from any other stallion then she would have thought it a trick but she didn't get the sense that he was the type to do that from all the times they'd spoken so far. "You… you didn't come here with the intention of asking me for a date though?" She questioned him just to clarify.

Rayne shook his head and looked steadily into her eyes. "I know that claiming to be old fashioned might have an entirely different meaning when speaking to you, but I would have thought that it'd be rude to show up and ask you out to something amorous without receiving proper invitation from you to do so first. All I wanted to do was spend a few minutes with you and hopefully do something to help you to make your night easier. Then, if you were interested, I was planning if I could officially request an audience with you at some point in the future."

Luna backed off at realizing she had still been pressuring him against the wall. "You admit that you're sincere in your attempts for courtship with me? This wasn't just fancy talk or a means to impress me for some other end?"

"No other ends, I assure you." Rayne replied to her. "You tried to save my life Luna. And aside from how much respect I have for you as a princess, I truly do think that you are beautiful. Now I admit, that might not be much of a start to go on but that is why I want to try to get to know you better. And if we find that we like what we see in each other… well then who knows what can happen after that?"

The princess did frown again, not enjoying the thought of being approached so brazenly despite the understanding feelings which Rayne seemed to have towards her. "But why then when asked why I should bother with your request did you answer 'nothing'? Your words were striking to me, and not inherently inspiring to courtship."

"Because princess…" He answered slowly again. "I'm afraid that I can offer you neither fame nor fortune to charm you with. I am not royalty and have no noble background to support myself with. I own neither land nor a business of my own. I am a hardworking pony with a stout heart but I could never offer to you at your door the likes of the bouquet that we walked past to reach your room." Instantly Luna frowned remembering about the flowers left to her by Magnus which she had yet to have ordered to be cleared away. "What does a simple stallion such as I have to offer to a princess? The answer is nothing except for the generosity of my company and with luck the laughter that comes with my sense of humor."

Luna looked away from him now as she considered the situation to herself. In truth she didn't want an abundance of flowers from Rayne as Magnus had given to her. After thinking about it more she realized that she hadn't been enjoying anything about Magnus' approach to wooing her and she questioned herself as to why she had hoped to see Rayne's face behind the bustles of flowers instead of the legionnaire's in the first place.

"So…" She finally stated after a rather lengthy pause. "Your approach would be through laughter then? Are you to be my jester in hopes that making me chuckle might win you my heart?" She smiled gently as a peace offering in hopes to lighten the heavy mood that she knew she was responsible for.

With a smile back Rayne replied, "Well that all depends on whether that curve to your lips means that it's working, my lady." His cadence was also lighthearted and hopeful now which Luna found to be quite infectious as her smile grew.

With a genuine chuckle she waved him off saying, "Stop that. How do you always find a way to make light of any situation however grievous?"

"Maybe I feel that there are better things in life to focus on? Life will be grievous enough as it is without forgetting the joy of a welcoming face smiling back at you." He said while daring to step up to the princess to be face to face with her once more.

Now Luna batted her eyes at him just once as they stared at one another. "I think that is a philosophy that I can appreciate." She said softly, never breaking her gaze with him.

However right at that moment there was a flutter of wings at the balcony before an urgent voice spoke up. "My sister… I have been waiting for you at the balcony but if we do not turn the sun and moon soon then we will be late in-... What is the meaning of this?!" Celestia called out not in anger but with genuine surprise. "I gave you leave to walk away with the stallion Luna, but I did not expect to find him alone with you in your bedchamber."

Breaking her gaze from Rayne for an eye roll Luna replied calmly saying, "Fear not big sister as my virtue has not been sullied this day. Rayne and I have merely been talking whilst I righted my countenance for the night."

Celestia gave Rayne a lingering stare as she followed her sister who did not hesitate in trotting straight for her balcony. Together the sisters exchanged the sun and moon in the sky which basked Luna's bedroom in an ethereal glow. After which, once the two sisters walked back into the room Rayne raised up his hooves saying, "Please princess, it is as I said. I can tell that I am keeping you from things just by my being here unannounced this evening. All I wished was to be of use to you somehow tonight to help make your evening easier. For the princess who does everything alone while the world sleeps, I thought it only fair that for one night she enjoy some company and for somepony to think of her for a change."

At this Luna's blush was exacerbated by the fact that her sister was here to watch. It didn't make things any easier on her when Celestia whistled and stepped over with a smile. "Why I think that sounds like a lovely offer. How kind of you, Rayne. Don't you think so Luna?"

"Yes… so kind…" Luna growled but mainly due to Celestia's apparent butting in.

"You know, Rayne…" Celestia spoke up as if just having an idea. Speaking right over her sister's protests she said, "Luna does have a habit in the evenings of hanging lavender in the wall sconces at night to help everypony in the castle to sleep. There happens to be an abundance of flowers down the hall at the moment which I doubt my sister intends to do anything with. Perhaps you could walk with her tonight and help to place the lavender about?"

"I think that a walk about the castle with her would be lovely… if the lady would have my company?" Rayne was delighted to ask which again made Luna frown at her sister feeling as if now she didn't have a choice.

"Tis true that hanging flowers in the castle is a task that I usually partake in by myself… however, your presence I would not be opposed to while I make my rounds this evening." Luna attempted to say as if it would be no big deal.

With a mutual smile shared between all three of them, Celestia bade Rayne to wait for Luna out in the hall whilst she stayed behind to speak to her sister in private. "So… he definitely seems sweet on you. How is it sister, having the attention from a pleasure pony? Has Rayne been as hot and heavy on you as Hot Streak was with me?" The smirk on Celestia's lips was running from almost ear to ear as her mind traveled to some distant memory.

However that smug grin on her pearly face disappeared when Luna promptly responded with, "Actually dear sister… he has not. Rayne has attempted to be nothing but a gentlepony with me. More so than that in fact. Tis almost as if he would fear offending me in anyway. I do not think that wild amorous relations are his goal. I believe... he feels his affections toward me to be genuine." Luna said softly, as if she could hardly believe her words as she said them.

"Well then…" Celestia answered, sounding just as surprised. "If you have found a pony to care for you that deeply then you had best not keep him waiting then."

"Tia!" Luna remarked back in shock. "Don't tell me that you would support this?!"

Celestia just shrugged and said, "Well pleasure pony or not, I honestly don't get the feeling that Rayne means you any harm. And I am the ruler of Equestria after all. If he ever hurts you I could just throw him in a dungeon or something." She laughed but then leaned down to hug her sister tightly. "But Luna, if it's true that this stallion loves you then I wouldn't want you to have to go through the same heartache that I did with Hot Streak."

In the hallway Rayne curiously raised an ear as he waited when he thought he heard some kind of shouting coming from back within the room.

"-NAME OF EQUESTRIA! How could thy dare to use the L-word about this when we hath not even taken our first outing together?!" Luna exclaimed with a face both flushed and angry.

Celestia who was getting no end of enjoyment out of seeing her sister so bashful just replied, "I believe that nowadays they call it a date, Luna, and-"

"I know what it is that modern ponies refer to as courtship!" Her sister spat irritably.

Ignoring the outburst Celestia spoke calmly over Luna saying, "AND… Luna if he came all the way from Ponyville just to offer to do something nice for you at the start of your evening then that means THIS IS your first date!" Celestia had to hold back from bold faced laughing from the look that Luna gave as she shoved her little sister toward the door.

• -

A few minutes later, Luna was walking alone with Rayne as each of them held a basket of lavender by their side. The princess was taking one side of the hall as Rayne was taking the other, both slowly lining the sconces with flowers. Celestia had retired for the evening and all of the night guards had already been informed of Rayne's presence within the castle. However despite that nopony would be interrupting them now, for Luna's part Rayne could not help but notice how she seemed inextricably more nervous than she had been back in her bedchambers.

"Ahem-"

"No! What?! I mean, I didn't say anything!" Luna shouted at the first utterance of a sound from the stallion.

"Yes princess, I noticed that you hadn't. I was going to." He remarked which made Luna's ears drop as she was painfully aware she was making a fool of herself. "Are you alright?"

"Yes… I mean no… oh, what I meant to say is-"

"Your sister said something to you back in your room after I left and now you feel awkward being alone with me?" Rayne surmised, hoping that a modicum of surprise would help to shake her from the funk that she was in.

The look on her face told Rayne that he was right and shortly after the princess frowned giving him a derisive stare. "You know, there is such a thing as being too perceptive, Rayne."

With a chuckle Rayne nodded, happy to see that the mood was lightened between then again. "Thank you for allowing me to do this with you princess." He offered, hoping to open the door for some small talk between them.

"Thou art thanking me for assisting with my menial chores about the castle?" She asked with a perplexed look about her.

Rayne wasn't phased as he shook his head and levitated another patch of flowers into a sconce. "No, I don't think that's quite right. I don't believe that you've ever once viewed doing this as a chore. This is a kindness that you do for every other pony in the castle. No one's forcing you to do this. You do it because it's meaningful to you. And that is what I'm thanking you for, for allowing me to be a part of it on this one night." After that there was a steady glow upon Luna's cheeks. She didn't seem to have much else to say but she was happy and that was more than enough for Rayne to be content with. "Alright, here we are. It seems that we've finished our loop around the castle." He finally said after placing flowers within the last empty sconce.

"Wh-what?! No! We couldn't have finished already! It always takes me at least twice as long to finish doing this at night!" Luna protested but as Rayne smiled at her she sighed and said, "Though I do suppose that it makes sense, with having the help of another it would naturally go by twice as quickly."

"Are you sorry to see me go?" He smirked to her.

"Are you really leaving so soon?" Luna countered as she looked to him as if he'd been joking.

"That was my promise, Luna. I said that I merely came tonight to make your evening easier if I could. And look here, I've cut your time traversing the castle grounds tonight in half. I'd call that a success if you ask me."

"You really, honestly did mean it when you said you wanted to help me tonight." She said to him meaningfully as if truly contemplating his gesture.

"That's right." He said to her with confidence.

Suddenly rushing up to him now Luna asked, "Well, when will I see you again?"

"When would you like to see me again?" Rayne chuckled warmly to her.

Luna smiled back but then thought it over. "There are some upcoming events at the castle that will require my attention. But I believe… how about exactly one week from today? I should be able to clear some time to be able to see you."

Rayne thought about it but then shook his head. "Princess… surely you realize that a week from today would be the night before Nightmare Night! If you indeed plan on visiting Ponyville and scaring the children again this year then surely you will need your rest on the night before."

"Oh, yes well… it should be okay. The children do tend to go to bed early. So as long as I do not miss too much sleep then I-"

"No, no way. Forgive me for speaking over you but I won't have it." Rayne told her. "I picked this particular time so as to try not to inconvenience you. I certainly don't intend scheduling a premeditated inconvenience with you. I'm afraid that you'll just have to arrive a little early and be my personal guest in Ponyville for Nightmare Night." He said to her with a smug grin.

"Rayne…" She blushed in surprise. "Are you asking me to be your date for the Nightmare Night celebrations in Ponyville?!" She kept her tone reserved so as to not give her feelings away on the matter. She wanted a genuine answer from him without her influence on what he might say.

With a bit of a blush of his own Rayne nodded and said, "Yes as a matter of fact I am. Princess Luna, would you do me the honor of escorting you as your date for Nightmare Night in Ponyville next week?"

The anticipation alone could have frozen his heart cold but Luna decided to be kind and not keep the stallion waiting on her answer. "I guess you and I have a date then, Rayne." Her eloquent voice said aloud.

Now Luna had herself a good long chuckle when then stallion loudly exclaimed, "YES! She said yes!" He cheered, absentmindedly grabbing one of the nearby guards who shrugged himself out of Rayne's grip.

"Ahem, yes I heard. I'm very happy for you." The guard pony answered awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

When Rayne turned back to Luna she was standing there looking radiant, one hoof bent in front of the other and smiling at him as his juvenile cheers were making her feel wonderful about herself. "Please remember Rayne that you are indoors and there are others about who art sleeping." Rayne nodded bashfully but her smile for him only grew. "Not to worry. I am pleased by this arrangement too. I look forward to seeing how a pleasure pony might treat his date during next week's festivities. Good night, Rayne." She said smiling at him.

Rayne however looked as if his head were going to explode. "Oh you're going to love it! We're going to have all the usual stuff but so much more! And oh, there's going to be this whole big thing! Ah, I can't even tell you about it but it's going to be great!" He rambled on excitedly before walking backwards right into a wall.

"Hehe, I believe that you'll find the front entrance to the castle down that way." Luna giggled as she pointed to a large staircase that Rayne had missed entirely.

"Yes! Right! Anyways, good night princess. Thank you! I'm so happy! I can't wait, I- oh I'm so excited!" He continued to say while almost tripping as he walked down the stairs.

With a signal from the princess two do the guards assisted Rayne out the front doors before he ended up hurting himself. But when Luna walked around the corner and out of view she instantly threw her back against the wall and slumped down to the ground with a heavy smile on her face. "Uhh… what hath we gotten ourselves into?" She giggled again while biting her lip excitedly. "Thank you, Rayne. You gave me a wonderful start to my night tonight." She whispered to herself before merrily trotting her way back toward her chambers.

Author's Note

Alright so what do you all think of Rayne's technical first date with Luna? It was something respectful that she didn't even have to leave the house for. It wasn't cheesy or overplayed and it wasn't anything inappropriate like him trying to get her alone. Rayne started off by trying to do something useful for her and ended up helping with the wall sconces. It turns out that all those extra flowers from Magnus ended up being useful after all.

Okay so I can't say that there is a lot else for me to review in this chapter but I did want to point out one thing. When Rayne was basically trying to boombox outside Luna's window, he wasn't sure which balcony to actually play to. I'm just going with the thought that her tower is accessable from the outside castle grounds. I admit it's a plot hole but it's a pretty minute detail to really worry about.

Also yes there is a timeline issue here. I suspected that that gala was around the end of September and that Nightmare Night is of course at the end of October. But again, small details I just didn't think were super drastic to fix.

Now the last thing I wanted to point out was that I had fun having Rayne be super excited when Luna agreed to their second date. I really wanted to work in some kind of Michael Keaton reference to his behavior but I couldn't think of an exact movie reference to fit this scene so I left it out.