route_1065 | PROM, DAY ONE: THE PROM-ENING

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PROM, DAY ONE: THE PROM-ENING

Who: EVERYONE
Where: Scenic Tohjo Falls!
When: Friday, April 4
Summary: THIS IS THE LOG FOR DAY ONE OF POKEPROM! That means this is your RED-CARPET GALA, so put on your showstopping couture and go have a blast!
Rating: May vary by thread, please mark accordingly!
Log:

~
☆ YOU ARE HERE ☆

KEY:

• BLUE areas are where the bulk of the party's events will be located! As you can see, the festivities will be taking place largely outdoors, and the grounds will reflect that; there'll be the usual decorations of pretty floral arrangements, little lights, things like that. Think upscale garden party! There'll also be a ballroom indoors for more traditionally fancy red-carpet goings-on, but most of the action (and volume of guests) will be found mingling out back.
• GREEN areas are where guests will be staying overnight! Unfortunately, you'll be sleeping-bagging it up, since there's a limited amount of bedrooms in this house and they're all being occupied by Clair, Lance, the Elite Four, and guests who are regrettably way more important than you. However, this is where you'll be given space to leave your possessions, claim some sleeping room, and generally crash for the night once the festivities do you in. (Note: you're welcome to try to sleep elsewhere, but Clair might catch you and disapprove. You don't want that, do you?)
• RED areas are unfortunately off-limits to guests! If asked about them, anyone will tell you that those are the rooms and areas that the Elite Four (and their special guests) have claimed for themselves, and they're sealed off tight. Please don't try to break into them anyway; you'll only be caught and punished.

• AREA A is the designated Indoor Ballroom area, for the people who prefer the classy elegance of a formal red-carpet gala over the more whimsy outdoor garden party atmosphere in the back. There's a big skylight, hardwood floors, tasteful artwork, and classy music — a little more upscale than the shenanigans going on outside, for the people who'd rather that kind of thing.

• AREA B will be the area of interest for anyone hoping to sneak a little Pokemon research on the side: this is the Library/Gallery area of the house. While most of it is your standard "tall shelves of ancient identical books" fare, there are a few points of interest — we've detailed them further right here. Guests are welcome to look around a little, but burying themselves in research the whole time will be highly frowned upon, and you'll be politely encouraged to leave the library alone and go rejoin the festivities if you hole up in there for too long.

• AREA C is...well, the Parking Lot. More importantly, it's where you take your Pokemon battles if you simply gotta get your battle on; keep it out and away from the house, please, and try not to make too much of a mess. Skirmishes, sorties, and sparring will be tolerated here and here alone. Do it anywhere else and you'll be facing some very displeased hosts.

• AREA D is the Elite Four's Trophy Room. Please be quiet and respectful if you come up here to have a look around; it's a solemn kind of place. Here you'll find various collections of badges, ribbons, awards, and trophies put on display, with one wall devoted to each member of the Elite Four. There are also pictures of the Elite Four members themselves, though it seems there's been a changeover since the last prom; the candids and Official Portraits™ depict different people entirely now (with the exception of Bruno) and there are a few photos of some sort of ceremony among the others. These photos include Lance being declared Champion of both regions by Professor Oak, while the rest of the Elite Four look on; Lorelai hugging Will and Karen immediately after their promotion to Elite Four; Agatha and Koga having an exhibition battle between her Gengar and his Crobat; all six of them piling into the frame for what amounts to a massive group selfie, etc.

☆ IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER: ☆

• This post is for threads taking place on DAY ONE of Prom, which means this is the RED-CARPET GALA! Only threads taking place on Friday, April 4 should go in this log!

• We recommend putting your character's location in the header of your comment, or if you're doing multiple locations in the same comment, mark them clearly so people can find you more easily!

• Once you've posted your top-level comment(s), make sure to go to Our PokéProm Masterpost Directory and link to it on the proper day and location, so we can find you more easily!

• The Masterpost Directory is also where we'll be linking the Special NPC Guest Stars' threads, so make sure to keep checking back there for links to their threads!

~

THE POKÉPROM MASTERPOST DIRECTORY

THE ORIGINAL INFOPOST | QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES HOTLINE | DAY TWO: THE LOG | DAY THREE: THE LOG

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Having wandered off before Dist released his Pokemon, Kato returns to his date holding two glasses of that punch (and it's disappointing lack of alcohol - not that he's really surprised, what with all the kids here). He's accompanied by his Lunatone, who is floating near his head occasionally doing an excited spin through the air, much to the chagrin of his trainer. But if he can't have his Hydreigon out, he might as well have something.

Not that Ranpu can compare with Dist's bevy of beauties, however! Offering one of the glasses to Dist, Kato can't help but smirk.]

I see I'm not your only date for this evening - should I be jealous?

[His voice is light and very obviously teasing, however; this should be a nice night. The ballroom sure as hell beats another night in the Team Rocket labs, anyway.]

[Dist can't help but laugh as he accepts the drink.]

Oh, don't you worry. There's plenty of me to go around.

[He tucks some of his hair back so he can take a sip of punch. Carefully of course, since he's basically wearing all white. He'd prefer not to have red stains other than the ones purposefully put there in the design.]

I thought I'd let them explore while we have our dance.

[He says that with certainty, though he's sure Kato wouldn't be opposed. He seems like the sort who would be good at ballroom dancing, at least to Dist anyway.]

I would hope so; I don't know if I can compete with them, after all.

[Really, Dist honestly does a fantastic job of keeping his Pokemon looking beautiful - it's one of the things he likes about him. While Kato selects his Pokemon more for power (aka the ability to use Explosion) than appearance, he never lets the uglier ones out of their Pokeballs unless he intends to use them. There's just no way to look suave with a Skuntank following you, honestly.

As it stands, he's obviously amused by Dist's suggestion, but certainly doesn't seem opposed.]

It's been a little while since I did any dancing, but I'm sure I can figure it out. It's hardly Rocket science, is it~?

[GOD THAT WAS REALLY FUNNY okay no]

Let me finish this and I'm all yours - anything in particular that you'd prefer?

They do give you a run for your money, I must admit. [He's joking...for the most part. But no really he takes pride in his beautiful Pokemon.] But what can I say? It's only natural for their beauty to take after their trainer.

[THAT JOKE THOUGH. It actually gets a good laugh out of Dist just because he can't believe he actually went there. Good lord Kato, your Saturday Morning Cartoon Villain is showing.]

Oh no, not at all. At least, not our brand of Rocket science. Though that would be interesting to have incorporated into dance, wouldn't it?

[Dancing with explosions and lasers in the background. Sounds romantic, right?]

I believe classic ballroom dancing would be the most appropriate for the setting. I am not opposed to leading if you need a refresher.

[A dance with explosions and lasers in the background? That sounds romantic as hell. If a little inappropriate for their current location. Although, he has been contemplating the trajectory of explosions he'd need to cause the villa to tumble into the falls...wouldn't that be simply glorious...

...ahem. Right. Back to reality, now.]

Leading, is it? I may have to take you up on that offer - even if I am rather unfamiliar with the woman's part.

[But that's the fun of it, right? Excuse him while he looks amused for a moment; he shouldn't be surprised that you know how to dance, really (being as you are). But still...how very quaint.]

Do you make a habit of this sort of thing, back home?

We can always trade positions once you've caught up.

[But he won't lie, he's looking forward to leading for the time being.

To Kato's question, he quickly shakes his head.]

Not at all. I only ever attended social events if it was mandatory, but I did make sure I was at least somewhat skilled at dancing in case I needed to participate. I polished those skills a bit for this event. [You should have seen him dance last prom, Kato. He was so awkward.] I simply had a feeling they would be particularly useful this time around.

[Having a date does make one actually want to participate in dancing, after all.]

[...one moment, Dist; that first comment of yours caused Kato to momentarily choke on his punch.]

Y-Yes, of course we can. Good point.

[Right, he's fine, he's fine - really amused, and totally fine.]

Well, I'm glad at least one of us knows what he's doing. Shall we?

[And Kato will extend a hand out to his partner. There may be no explosions or lasers in the background, but he's confident they'll manage to enjoy themselves - whether they stay in the same positions or not~]

[Momentarily confused, Dist squints at Kato's reaction to his comment.]

What? What did I--

[He recounts the comment and

...

Kato PLEASE.]

You know what I meant.

[He takes a moment to shoo off his Pokemon to the garden area and then rather firmly takes Kato's hand because damnit that was not funny.

Maybe it would be if he wasn't the one who used the poor wording, but he was.

So with a severe look in his eyes, he gets them into their arrangement amongst the other dancers. It's slightly awkward due to Dist being shorter and leading, but he'll make it work. He's not even nervous about them being directly in each other's personal space because he's so intense and confident about this.

Once they're nice and set, he looks back to Kato.]

Are you ready?

[Fighting (and failing) to hold back soft laughter as Dist drags him over to the dance floor, Kato can't resist one more little jab at his partner - grinning all the while.]

Of course I know what you meant - why are you getting so flustered over such an innocent statement, hmm~?

[You really are very cute when you're flustered...he should tell you that more often. Regardless of his levity, however, Kato obediently slides his hand into Dist's, placing the other one lightly on his shoulder. As if to offset Dist's intensity, he's quite relaxed. He's never danced with a man before, but that's the fun of it. The thought of having someone else lead is actually rather calming.]

Ready when you are.

[....]

You really are quite adorable when you're flustered, you know.

It was hardly innocent! You clearly took it to mean something vulgar! Ugh, I didn't realize I had such an immature partner.

[All Dist can do in this situation is grit his teeth and pull Kato close so they can just start the damn dance already. Indeed, his body language shows his feelings just as well as his words. Though in honesty, he's not really that mad about it. It's Kato's teasing that gets to him more than anything else. He knows he's being playful and not hostile about it, but it only perpetuates Dist's embarrassment because it's not like he enjoys getting flustered.

...especially when Kato calls him adorable for getting worked up, just like that. Gdit, Kato why.

Because it does cause him to crack a little, shown by the fact that he nearly makes a misstep because of it. He refuses to comment on it however, and expects Kato not to either.]

You've made me quite aware, Kato.

[Allowing himself one more amused smile at Dist's first comment, Kato tips his head slightly as means of apology. The almost-misstep combined with Dist's obvious agitation fascinate him, in a way; although really, it's good. Their relationship can't be perfect all of the time, and this is the ideal opportunity to learn some boundaries.]

I'm afraid I do have my moments; I never claimed to be perfect. Just close~

[Which is, of course, completely true. If Dist is legitimately upset, however, it's time to pile on the charm.]

It's the truth, though. I've never met someone in this industry with such energy. Most scientists are dreadfully boring and lack vision, and don't bring any sort of emotion to their work, or themselves. You do, and I like that.

If I offended you, I'm sorry - please know I did mean it as a compliment.

[Even though they've just started the dance, Dist has to abruptly stop it so he can comprehend what's going on. It's hard to concentrate on dance steps when his mind is as scrambled as it is now.

He looks up at Kato, dumbfounded.]

I-Is that so...?

[He gently and thoughtfully bites at his lip. He'd read Kato's intentions completely wrong just now. That was a first, and he actually feels guilty about it. It's...such a weird feeling, and he has a hard time hiding the look of guilt on his face too. But it does help him realize how worked up he got over nothing at the same time.]

Well...thank you, I suppose. The various comments on that trait of mine have never been compliments in my home world. That is why I reacted negatively to it.

[After a pause, he gently squeezes Kato's hand that he'd been awkwardly half-holding from stopping the dance.]

I apologize for snapping at you.

[Well, it's fortunate that they're off to the side of the dance floor, so the sudden stop doesn't bother anyone else; Kato doesn't really mind, however. He didn't actually expect Dist to look quite so...guilty. Although, admittedly, he's a bit more expressive than the average person. But that's what he likes! All that excellent passion about everything (especially evil deeds).

Plus, the two most famous scientists back in his world (apart from him, of course!!) are an angsty dude who wants robots to rule the planet because PEOPLE SUCK (yikes) and his idiot former boss who falls over a lot (and whom he kind of tried to blow up). Hardly stellar examples.

Honestly, Dist is like a breath of fresh air.]

It's alright, Dist; I'm hardly upset.

[And he isn't - he still has that vaguely amused look on his face. Admittedly, it's not all that different from his usual expression, but at least there's no traces of his trademark arrogant smirking.]

It's good we're talking about this - I now know not to be so blasé about that topic, and you know I don't mean it negatively.

[Reaching out, Kato gently runs his thumb along Dist's jaw, smiling softly.]

So cheer up, okay? The night is still young, after all.

[Kato not being mad about it definitely reassures Dist. That's one of Kato's traits that he really likes, too. Kato doesn't seem to let a lot get to him (...small exceptions for idiotic people and Pokemon and plans going awry of course), and has a lot of patience when it comes to dealing with small kinks in their relationship. With Dist basically being the exact opposite, touchy and easy to work up, Kato's cool demeanor helps Dist calm down much quicker than usual.

Maybe this is what Dist needed all along: a calming partner.

A small smile replaces the frown on his face.]

Yes, you are exactly right. About everything, I mean. [He slides his other arm under Kato's arm so he's supporting him from the back.] Let's begin again, properly this time. I promise I won't be making any more missteps tonight.

[And not just the dancing kind, of course.]

[Very few things actually manage to rile Kato (although his Pokemon are becoming better and better at it....), and this little tiff is no exception to that rule. He's just glad everything seems to have smoothed itself over; he was actually rather enjoying that dance, after all.

Continuing to smile (although admittedly, there is a bit of a smirk in there now...), Kato returns his hands to their original positions.]

You're sure you don't need me to lead?

I am absolutely sure.

[Have a little faith, Kato!

Now that he's calmed down considerably, Dist is able to put all his concentration into their dance. He starts out with small steps, and when he feels that Kato is following well enough, he moves onto something slightly more complex. It's still just a basic Waltz which is about as much as Dist's capable of, but hey, they're looking very nice for any spectators.

Once they've gotten into a good rhythm, Dist breaks his concentration to look at Kato instead of over his shoulder.]

You caught on quick, as expected. I'm glad we both have enough skill to do this; I never thought I would say this about dancing of all things, but I'm really enjoying it.

[He has all the faith in the world in you, Dist, don't you worry~! Regardless, he must admit that he's pleasantly surprised by all this.]

It's actually rather fascinating how something that sounds so simple in theory can be so difficult in practice; I've seen many highly intelligent people struggle terribly with dancing. You really have to have a knack for it.

Fortunately, we appear to be rather blessed.

[Not that that's any surprise, because we're perfect. Duh.]

Just how long did you spend practicing, hmm?

I actually spent a fair amount of time practicing. As I said, I don't dance very often. The last time I did was at last year's prom, and before that, well...it likely had to have been years.

It's not something that comes naturally to me, but...I do agree that I feel blessed in the fact that I can actually get a grip on the steps after practicing.

[He's surprised at himself for actually being truthful about this for the most part, but he's still not going to go into detail about how badly out of practice he was and that he had to spend at least an hour practicing a day for a couple days leading up to prom. Because he needs to maintain at least some of his dignity. DANCING AND RHYTHM IS SO HARD...

On the flipside, Gale is now also pretty decent at the basic Waltz from Dist using her as a practice partner. Go figure.]

But look at you, you caught on right away. I must admit, I'm a little envious. Do you know any particular steps you'd like to show off...?

[Because this is as much as Dist is going to be able to give, unfortunately.]

[Shaking his head, Kato laughs softly.]

I must be a better actor than I thought - this is actually taking up quite a bit of my focus. That comment about dancing being more difficult in practice than theory was spoken from experience, you know.

[And really, this seems like the most appropriate step to go with - he can't see the more hoity-toity guests in here being too impressed if they spontaneously go into a tango, anyway.]

So don't worry; I'm not about to break into a Charleston~

[...really, that would be kind of terrifying.]

Besides...this is more than enough. Thank you for going to the effort for me.

[Holy shit, Dist, you might actually be getting a genuine smile. Well done!]

[Dist is definitely surprised by that.]

I didn't get that impression at all. It seems you had me fooled.

[He's legit impressed, too. Damn Kato, you're actually getting him inspired to get better in all areas!

Sadly, the Charleston joke is lost on him. He's from a different planet and while there are similar dances, like one similar to the Waltz that they're doing now, others just didn't carry over. He'll just have to be spared from the terrifying mental image of Kato doing the Charleston for now.

But Kato's smile will definitely get good reception from him though! Being able to dance with his partner is great enough, but seeing Kato smile like that assures Dist that all the tormenting practice was completely worth it.]

You are more than welcome, Kato. Thank you for participating in this dance with me. It's been wonderful.

[Smiling himself now, he makes eye contact with Kato again as the song, as well as their dance, begins to wind down.]

You look so lovely when you smile like that. It's such a shame that you don't get a chance to show it more often.

[The tables have turned, apparently...]

[.....

...heeeeeeeeey

He sees what you are doing here, and it isn't going to work!

...a-although]

Well...thank you.

[The compliment actually makes Kato pause for a moment because it's...well, it's been a long time since someone has complimented him on something properly, in such an innocent sort of way. He does a perfectly good job of complimenting himself, but it's...well, it's different when someone else does it. For some reason, it's a tad overwhelming.

Dammit, Dist, what are you doing to him?! He's the one who is supposed to be flustering you, not the other way around!]

...

[Hmmm. Maybe he should try this...smiling thing more often. He wasn't even aware he was doing it! Isn't a smirk the same thing? Maybe he should try smirking less...if that's possible...

Although if you think you've won this little competition you're in for a shock, honey.]

May I do something?

[Who said this is a competition? Dist is just being considerate and honest!!

...

But he can totally tell you're trying to pokerface while being flustered, Kato. Winning.]

Ah, of course. Go ahead.

[They've come to a stop now, and Dist is prepared to let Kato go so he can do whatever he needs to do. It's safe to say he's not sure what to expect here.]

[Excuse you, his poker face happens to be excellent!

...well alright it's pretty crap when he's legitimately worked up, so let's just...move on from that. Regardless, his expression has slipped back into that usual smug indifference, although there's definitely a devious glint in his eye.

He has a plan.

Without shifting his hand from Dist's back, Kato gently pulls him closer so that he can slide his other up to his neck; as he does so, he lightly pushes Dist's chin up and kisses him.

Somewhere in his head he registers that it's their first kiss, and it's something he'll dwell on later. For now, despite their banter, it's...surprisingly nice, and he realises it's been a while since he's kissed someone he was legitimately fond of.

It's still chaste, however, and Kato only holds it for a few seconds longer before shifting away so he can whisper in Dist's ear:]

Thanks for the dance.

[What was that about winning, hmm~?]

[See, Dist was expecting that Kato just wanted to go get another drink or something now that they're done with the dance. So his eyes definitely widen in confusion when all of the sudden he's being pulled close.

It all happens so quickly, he barely has a chance to register what Kato's doing until it just happens.

While most of his freaking out is internal because holy shit he's being kissed how does he even react, it does present itself physically too. Much like with the kiss on the cheek Kato gave him, he tenses up quite a bit, shakily clutching Kato's jacket where he was previously holding him for support in the dance.

Is this seriously happening right now.]

[He basically has to force himself to calm down so he can actually enjoy the kiss, but he does finally do it moments before Kato pulls away. He allows himself to close his eyes, loosen his embrace on Kato and take it all in, and it feels really great to be honest. So this is what a real kiss is like...

Moments later he's back in reality, listening to Kato's gentle whisper and...wow, they just had their first kiss in front of all these people, didn't they? That definitely just happened. Like...he's pretty sure he just heard a clap somewhere out there. Oh god.

He just...lowers his head onto Kato's shoulder so he can hide how badly his face is flushed right now.]

Y-You're welcome.

[He'll get to commenting on that kiss...just give him a moment...

Yeah uh, you win Kato.]

PROM, DAY ONE: THE PROM-ENING

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1/2 GETTING TO USE THIS ICON ALREADY

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#WINNING

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