GIVE ME PROM OR GIVE ME DEATH

[indigo_league]

So you’ve gotten on the ferry, piloted by a man loudly proclaiming himself to be Captain Garfield and won’t this be fun everybody? We’re going to a party! Hope you all like boundless enthusiasm for boating, because this guy and his trusty Rattata (who will be collecting everyone’s fees, pay up or you don’t get on!) sure do love this and want everyone to know it. Finally, through caves and up rivers, there it is, shining in the dim evening light: The Elite Four’s Mansion (and blessed freedom from Captain Garfield). It looks amazing! Bunk down for the night and get a good night’s sleep, because tomorrow? It’s party time.



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. Some of the landscaping is a little different than what longterm residents might remember-- again, this WAS the site of a pretty epic battle between Teams Aqua and Magma at one point! All the same, in two years, you’d think they’d have wrapped up most of the work… there’s a lot of large-ish dirt piles and general disarray in the grounds outside the main yard, although the main grounds are still tidied up and decked out pretty heavily for the garden party. There’s even a little gazebo set up where you can have pictures taken of you, your date, and/or your Pokemon! The gazebo smells a little like fresh paint and plywood, but the paint is at least probably dry! There’s also an indoor ballroom for the more fancy red-carpet dancing, but in general, most of the activity will be happening outside.

• GREEN areas are where guests will be staying overnight! Unfortunately, you'll be sleeping-bagging it up, since there's a limited number of bedrooms in this house and they all either belong to Claire, the rest of the Elite Four, or are reserved for guests who are regrettably way more important than you. That much is the same as always-- Bruno really doesn’t want anybody digging through his underwear drawer, guys. He never has.
All that said, the green areas are 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.

• RED areas are RESOUNDINGLY off-limits to guests! There’s a lot more blocked-off doorways than there were in the past, and if asked about them, the staff will inform you that the mansion is under heavy remodeling and to please move along! What do you want to look at a bunch of sawdust and exposed wiring for anyway! Stop being nosy!
For everybody’s safety, there will be some staff stationed near the various restricted areas to move people along and make sure nobody wanders where they shouldn’t.


• 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 and lots of space to move around! … But the hardwood floors are looking a little scuffed, and there doesn’t seem to be the usual array of tasteful artwork on the walls anymore, even though you can still tell where a lot of the frames used to be hanging. There are some red banners strung up over most of those empty spots, and although don’t quite match the decor and they’re a little on the cheap side, they certainly make it look like a sweet party! Overall, though, a little more upscale than the shenanigans going on outside, for the people who'd rather that kind of thing.

• AREA B, as some of the more bookish types will remember, is the Library/Gallery! A long-time favorite of visitors, it’s usually a nice haven for people who are a little partied-out but not ready for bed, or who just want to dig into the Elite Four’s personal collection of books and research. SADLY, this year it would seem the door is blocked off! Remodeling in there too, huh? What a shame. :(

• AREA C is...well, the Parking Lot. Normally it’s spotless (no cars!), but this year it looks like they didn’t really have time to clean up, as there seems to be a lot of litter lying around. But more importantly, this is 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. Don’t be that person, guys!

• AREA D … is the Elite Four’s trophy and commemoration room, and it too seems to be shut off to the public. :( Awwww.

For all other information about the Prom and the venue, head on over HERE!

Comments

[garbagechild]

A Homunculus is the reviled result of a person committing the greatest of alchemical taboos: human transmutation. We are the damned afterbirth of an attempt to revive a human being from the dead. My name is Wrath, for those of us who survive are named for the seven deadly sins, an outdated reference to a pitiful human religion that grasped piteously at an understanding of the universe without ever realizing that the cosmos is cruel, unfeeling, and knows no difference between right and wrong.

... But you can call me a peanut if you want!

_{[HE SMILES ENCOURAGINGLY! She's nice. c:]}

[keep_surviving]

[The word 'afterbirth' make her skin prickle uncomfortably and she swallows to try and bury the sickness rolling about in the pit of her stomach.

The rest is, honestly, kind of hard to follow.]

... Right. Well, Peanut it is then.

[She smiles back a him.]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[That's okay. A lot of things about Wrath make peoples' skin prickle uncomfortably, even aside from the overdramatic word choice.]

[But he nods!]</sub>

Want to come scare them with me?

_{[PLAYING IS MORE FUN WITH OTHER PEOPLE]}

[keep_surviving]

[Diana shrugs and stuffs another mini sandwich in her mouth.]

Sure, why not?

[garbagechild]

_{[Wrath grins his awful, sharp-toothed grin, and then immediately bounces off towards the stairs. 8] HE IS SO READY TO SCARE PEOPLE AWAY FROM THOSE LOCKED DOORS]}

[keep_surviving]

[Diana follows after him at a much calmer pace but kind of interested how this plays out.]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Word has probably gotten around the Rocket base at this point that when Wrath is involved, things get Interesting (tm).]

[Making it to the top of the stairs, he crouches down behind the banister, pointing to a couple of people down the hall in front of one of the locked doors.]</sub>

See? That's them.

<sub>[It's a couple of dudebro-looking guys, complete with backwards baseball caps (at a formal party? come on...) and red punch cups from downstairs.]

[They're laughing and one of them is jokingly kicking the door.]

[Wrath, meanwhile, has his eyes narrowed, and is looking around. He's learned by now that while he was a terrifying force of nature gone wrong back home, most people here don't particularly balk at an elementary-schooler running at them, even if the elementary-schooler DOES look like he's been living unattended in a ditch for several years.]

[BUT IF THEY CAN FINAGLE IT...]</sub>

... Psst, that light-switch on the wall behind you!

Does it work for this whole hallway?

[keep_surviving]

[Diana can't resist an eyeroll at the guys. Everyone she knew had to grow out of that attitude pretty quickly out of necessity. Which just makes it seem even more stupid to her.

She looks up at the switch on the wall.]

Only one way to find out. But once I do the surprise is ruined, so you'll have to be ready.

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Wrath gives a sharp, decisive nod of agreement! And then.... whoa, what... what is he... is he just pulling off his coat and shirt???]




[Yeah. Yeah, he is.]</sub>

I'm gonna scare them real hard!

<sub>[Once his upper garments are gone, he proceeds to shove his scrawny little arms directly down each leg of his trousers.]

[Behold.]</sub>

Okay.

_{[let's do this.jpg]}

[keep_surviving]

[Diana stares in bafflement at Wrath, seriously worried for a moment that the plan was going to be streaking.

She is both relieved and concerned at the sight infront of her.]

Well, that's terrifying.

[She reaches up to hover her hand over the switch, the other holding up 3 fingers. She then lowers them in sequence before finally killing the lights.]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[His reply to that is just a proud little chuff and an appropriately nightmarish sharp-toothed grin.]

[But they have work to do.]

[As she counts down, he readies himself.]

[And then, when the lights go out... he lurches out of the stairwell, capering and cavorting down the hall with loud, gibbering cries.]</sub>


--hOLY SHIT!!

_{[... is the first dude's reaction, and really, who the fuck can blame him.]}

[keep_surviving]

[Even though she knew it was coming, Diana can't help but jump at the combination of sudden noise and movement.]

[The second guy is making a weird noise. Some kind of mash of high pitched screaming and panicked panting.]

[He shoves his buddy aside --and towards Wrath-- bodily so he's clear to launch himself down the corridor.]

[With all the inelegance of a spooked cat he barrels past Diana, too caught up in his flight response to question her presence.]

[Meanwhile, Diana's jolt of panic has dissolved into uncontrollable giggling.]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[One guy down (the stairs), one guy to go!]

[The poor sucker getting pushed into Wrath's path gets the rawer deal, because Wrath's next course of action is to freaking leap into the air and full-on kick the guy sideways with both feet, landing on the floor like a sack of potatoes immediately after. So does the guy, his cup spinning off into the air. Then he's clearly had enough, because he shortly follows after his cowardly companion, scrambling upright and just SPRINTING.]

[The biggest tragedy of all is that they couldn't film it.]

[But honestly, a bigger tragedy than that would have been filming it and being unable to post it anywhere because Rocket confidentiality.]</sub>

[keep_surviving]

[Diana is having a hard time getting over to Wrath.

You know, because she's laughing so hard.

After stopping periodically to lean against the wall and double over- trying to take a breath and calm down just result in a new wave of giggles taking over -finally, she reaches the messy pile of limbs and hair on the floor that is Wrath.]

Are-- ahahaha --are you alri-- haha --ight, Peanut?

[garbagechild]

_{[Even in the darkness, Wrath's grin is plainly visible flashing up at Diana from the floor. He kicks his legs, proudly.]}

We got them REAL GOOD!

_{[... of course, now comes trying to get back up, which is very difficult when your arms are shoved down your pant legs.]}

[keep_surviving]

You did great, little man.

[She snorts and crouches beside him.] Need some help there?

[garbagechild]

Um, yes, please!

_{[He has exactly one (1) manner, and that is saying 'please'. He's gotten good at that!]}

[keep_surviving]

[Diana sets about trying to untangle the spidery limbed child.]

Alright, try not to wriggle too much, Peanut.

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Fortunately, once he's tugged slightly upright, he's able to better wrestle his arms back out.]

[Then he dusts himself off officiously-- not, mind you, that he has EVER cared about being dusty. He just knows that's what you do after achieving something. And boy is it satisfying!]</sub>

Wait'll we tell the bosses about this!

[keep_surviving]

I think they'll definitely be impressed with you, kid.

[All Diana did was turn off a light switch but it's hard not to get caught up in the kid's enthusiasm.]

Maybe you'll get a reward at the end of the night.