route_1065 | Valentine's Masquerade

Entry tags:

Valentine's Masquerade

Who: Minnie, Saber, and anyone who wants to join the party!
Where: Goldenrod.
When: Forward dated to 20th,with apologies for earliness, Afternoon to Night.
Summary: The girls are holding a Masquerade to finish off the feel of good vibes and loving sentiment. A chance to build CR, since they've offered to Fly in anyone for the day!
Rating: G, will change if needed.
Log:

With the last of the Pokemon singing vibes wafting their way out, there’s still a chance to have a fairly normal time here in Goldenrod. The Valentine’s Masquerade has been prepared, and the beautiful hostesses are ready to attend to their guests need. They rented out a small, one floor building for their needs, and it has been lavishly decorated in white frills, pink and red hearts, and the occasional cupid.

There’s more than enough room on the dance floor, as elegant ballroom music plays, courtesy of those nice folks at the Radio Tower. For those who are not exactly ready for the ballroom blitz, there are paper footprints on the floor to help you around if you’d like a waltz or foxtrot.

Some tables have been set up if you want a break from dancing. The first is a table for cards and masks – this is a masquerade after all! You can cut up your own from paper for cards, and paint your own choice of colors for the soft mask molds. There is glitter, feathers, glue, beads, fake jewelry, everything you’d need to create a pretty disguise and express how you feel in the written word.

A second table is full on banquet of Valentines sweets. A chocolate fountain has been set up, along with several dipping choices – fruits and extra candy, naturally. There are handmade chocolates there as well – milk, dark, white, full of peanuts, almonds, etc – but for those of you who can’t stand chocolate anymore, there is plenty of fresh cut up fruit to snack on. There’s also a large punch bowl for the thirsty, but you will get a nasty finger wagging at if you spike it.

Off in the corner, many books of poetry are piled up. Granted, they are mostly about Pokemon, but it’s the thought that counts. There’s also a stool and microphone set if you’d like to read your own creations, or perhaps croon to your sweetheart.

~~Please don’t tag until this sentence has a line through it.~~ Have fun!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[[...you will get quite the heartfelt smile for that, okay.]]

I'm glad, Mr Kimblee.

[[...alright now to quickly change the subject before she turns into a blushing mess, good lord.]]

How about we take a break from dancing and go for a walk outside? I think there was a nice garden out there.

I don't see why not; that sounds lovely.

[And with that he will be releasing his hold against her back, shifting that grip he'd had on her hand to allow their arms to link rather easily.

Outdoors it is, then; the weather is no longer the...freakishly warm spell they had during that rather bizarre week leading up to Valentine's Day, but it's still surprisingly nice out; the snow hasn't quite started falling again, at the very least - it's pleasant.]

[Sorry, did you say it was pleasant? It's about to get so much worse.]

[Perhaps it would have been a nice night if the circumstances were different and he wasn't waiting out here in the cold in the hopes of Kimblee leaving that damn masquerade eventually. It's too late. He said he'd be back. He didn't say he'd be back this late.]

[He's been standing outside for some time now with his Alakazam beside him. As if he needed a Pokémon to look intimidating; if looks could kill, everyone in the immediate vicinity would be dead.]

[Alekhine has been still the entire time, only now turning slightly when he senses a familiar presence. Archer follows his Pokémon's gaze, expression tightening into barely-controlled rage.]

Good evening, Kimblee.

[The words are tight and clipped and Archer takes a moment to glance at Kimblee's companion; he doesn't recognize her immediately, but he doesn't dwell on it. He's pissed enough as it is now.]

If you don't mind, we need to discuss something.

[And by "discuss" he means "I'm going to shriek at you in about three seconds, get ready."]

[Lovely. This is lovely.

To say that Kimblee had expected this would be a blatant lie; he probably should have, but the fact remains that he hadn't - and either way, once he lays eyes on both Archer and Alekhine, his entire demeanor shifts. Oh, his voice remains calm when he speaks, and the usual smirking is still present; at the same time, there's something very, very cold lacing through his words, and he's tensed up quite a bit.]

Do we, now? I see...

[And with that, he releases the light hold he's had against Emmy's arm.]

Miss Altava, might I ask you to return inside? [He shoots a rather pointed glance at Archer before returning his attention to her.] I apologize for the interruption, but it seems as though this can't wait.

[[Emmy had frozen when she saw Archer waiting for them outside the ballroom, her free hand instinctively moving to clutch Kimblee's arm lightly. She's not afraid, per say; more cautious. This doesn't look good; Archer looks furious.]]

I....well, if you're sure you'll be alright...I'll wait inside for you.

[[She squeezes his arm lightly before releasing it, turning gracefully and heading calmly back towards the door, shoulders tense. Once back inside and out of view, however, she picks up the hem of her dress and rushes towards the closest window; whatever the hell happens out there, she wants to be able to see it.]]

[Oh come now, Emmy! You act like he's going to have Alekhine blast attacks into Kimblee's brain or something!]

[...Not that he hasn't considered it. But details.]

Miss Altava, Kimblee?

[Of course he recognizes the name. It would be rather difficult not to after that fiasco on the fourteenth.]

I wasn't aware you were meeting her here.

[It's possible it was just a coincidence; that they just ran into each other here on accident. He isn't stupid or naive enough to believe that. It's a masquerade, what are the odds of them finding each other? Given their appearances they wouldn't have recognized each other right away anyway. He doesn't like the conclusions he's drawing.]

You failed to mention your date and you've been out for quite some time. Just when were you planning on returning?

[To be perfectly blunt, he's beginning to suspect "tomorrow" is the correct answer.]

[...stay classy, Archer.]

I wasn't aware that I had to report the details of my evening to you, nor did I realize that I had a curfew. The way you're behaving, I'm surprised that I didn't have to request your permission and have you sign forms in triplicate before I could attend.

[His tone of voice is still detached, almost unnaturally so; that tension in his posture hasn't released any, but he doesn't seem openly annoyed, either.]

You said you wouldn't be out late. Was that a lie?

[...Granted, this Kimblee is different than the one he knew back home and he's pretty sure this one will lie to him, but still Archer likes to think he knows Kimblee better than anyone else. Their relationship is built on mutual trust, after all.]

Come on, we're going back to the base.

[He turns to leave but Alekhine doesn't move from his spot; the Alakazam can sense the tension and is prepared to jump in to defend his trainer if worse comes to worse. He's been a little tense since that incident with the Electrode.]

Come on.

If that's where you're going, you're returning without me; I don't believe that whether I leave now or not is your decision to make.

[His gaze, however, is focused on the Alakazam, not Archer; he's fully aware that Archer's Pokémon are trained to attack humans. While he fully believes that Archer normally wouldn't order any sort of attack on him, he knows rather well just how unpredictable people can become when angered - and it's very clear that Archer is furious.]

[There's silence for a moment; Archer doesn't turn immediately but Alekhine does. He looks from one to the other and the sense of "oooohhh" is ridiculously obvious. Clearly shit is about to go down.]

...Kimblee.

[Archer turns then, folding his arms immediately and clenching his hands in the uniform's sleeves. He can't seem to settle on an expression and goes from looking pissed to smirking awkward and back again. He's trying to keep calm. It really isn't working. He knows better than to make a scene in public.]

You've been trying my patience for several days now. Your infatuation - is that what you're considering it? - with this girl has gone on long enough. We're returning to the base.

[Wow, I'm sorry. Do you want to try that again?]

And how many times must I cater to your paranoia and reassure you that I have no interest in pursuing Miss Altava? You have no right to tell me what I can and can't do, or how I spend my time. If you would like to return, I have no intention of stopping you, but I see no reason to cut my own night short.

No interest, Kimblee? Don't lie to me. If you had no interest in pursuing her you wouldn't be here with her tonight.

[He's willing to write off what happened on the fourteenth as a horrible outcome due to... whatever was in the water that day. He certainly wasn't acting normal, so it's a logical assumption that Kimblee's actions weren't exactly normal either. Besides, Kimblee gave him something; clearly he cares!]

[But this? This is crossing some invisible line Archer didn't realize existed.]

It's already late. I'm sure she won't mind. Does she know you're not interested in her? If not, you're leading her on. Do you really want to do that, Kimblee?

[Okay, hold on. His voice is escalating here and he doesn't need this to turn into a shrieking fit.]

We're supposed to be partners, Kimblee. How am I supposed to trust that you won't lie to me and run off with someone else if you're willing to do it now? Who's to say you won't stab me in the back when I need your assistance? You're returning to the base with me. Now.

I don't understand why you think that I can't spend time in Miss Altava's company without being interested in her. Perhaps this is simply a case of not understanding how homosexuals work, but I believe you can be around men without having any sort of interest in them - how is this any different?

[Kimblee's voice isn't rising along with Archer's; if anything, it's going in the opposite direction entirely - he's becoming cold and quiet, the ice beneath his words is only rivaled by that in his gaze.]

As it stands, I've hardly "run off" with her - I'm exactly where I said I was going to be when I left earlier this evening. You have no right to claim that I'm stabbing you in the back, nor do you have any reason to believe I will; I would suggest that you retract that statement if you know what's good for you.

Why the hell do you keep talking about us like we're a different species?

[He doesn't normally have much of an issue with homophobia. It's almost commonplace from what he's seen. It doesn't seem to be an issue here. And then, of course, there's Kimblee. To be honest, he's not upset with Kimblee for saying it - he's just looking for a concrete reason to be pissed.]

[He's not sure why he's so irritated otherwise. He'll focus on this instead.]

This is entirely different and you know it! I don't spend my time with others leading them on! You failed to mention that you'd be meeting her here or that you'd be spending the evening with her. You know how I feel about her! You know I would prefer it if you never saw her again! But I've tried to be patient and understanding, Kimblee. I've tried. You're making it very difficult.

[...Sorry for the shrieking histrionics, but he's been holding back on them for far too long now.]

[The initial outburst startles him a bit, leading to that odd, wide-eyed staring that he's prone to when something catches him off-guard; however, the look doesn't last long, that tranquil coldness quickly returning to his demeanor.]

This is the last time I intend to repeat myself, so I would suggest that you listen this time. I'm not leading anyone on. You have no right to dictate how I spend my time. Nor do you have any right to dictate with whom that time is spent.

Return to the base, if you intend to do so. I'll join you later. As far as I'm concerned, this discussion is over.

[He will just be turning to leave now, if you don't mind.]

Do you really expect me to believe that? Do you really?

[If he had any less restraint he'd order Alekhine to attack. He genuinely does care about Kimblee and he wouldn't want to kill him. Attacking him outright would be stupid anyway; everything else Archer has with him is low-leveled and not suited for battle. If Kimblee has Carlisle with him then Archer's screwed. He can look at it logically and explain it away, but that doesn't quite quell the urge to hurt him.]

Fine! We'll discuss this later.

[If you don't return he will hunt you down and... probably not kill you because that would be kind of pointless. But he'll definitely find some way to hurt you at least!]

You had better return.

[That's stated in an undertone and for a moment Archer looks downright sulky before he turns on his heel to leave as well. Alekhine teleports away after him.]

[Oh. That actually gets him to freeze.

For the first time over the course of this entire discussion, he raises his voice - though it's more to be heard than because he's truly angry, there are some very audible tremors beneath his words; it's clear that whatever restraint he may have is very close to breaking.]

And if I don't?

[That gets Archer to pause as well, though he doesn't turn. He can't face Kimblee right now. He's still pissed but he knows his expression isn't as controlled as he needs it to be.]

...You will.

[There's a strange note in his voice there - desperation? no, of course not - but Archer ignores it.]

Do you really want to test me, Kimblee?

I don't see any reason why I shouldn't.

Don't be an idiot. You're working with me; you have to return.

[...The fact that he can't actually bring himself to threaten Kimblee is really telling, isn't it.]

That can be changed, you know.

[Well of course it can be--]

[Oh.]

[Archer does turn at that and the expression of confusion is blatantly obvious for a moment.]

[...And then it's replaced by the usual irritation!]

You wouldn't.

And why shouldn't I? Because you told me not to?

[He's smirking now; it's not a nice expression.]

Who else would you trust? Who else would you train with? Who would even understand you, Kimblee?

[Yes, that last one was nasty, ask him if he cares.]

No one.

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