victory_road | Prom 2021, McMansion edition

Prom 2021, McMansion edition

After almost a week and a half of preparations, choosing your prom outfit(s?), and packing everything you might need for a wonderful weekend of luxurious fun, Prom has finally arrived! On Friday the 16th, starting at around noon, people will begin to arrive at this year's prom venue, the massive white building gleaming in the sun. Those with a very good eye for architecture might note that the mansion looks like it has been expanded over the years, with more and more being built onto it. Those with a terrible eye for architecture might note that it is, like, a really big house, man.

Anyway --

WELCOME TO THE MANSION!

Arrival is a bit of a hustle and bustle, with the hosting duo trying to greet every individual personally before directing them to their bedrooms. Anyone who has participated in one of Riegfried and Soy's previous contests will find that they remember each and every contestant and are eager to follow up with them, inquiring about the health and well-being of the Pokémon they entered into the contest with, whether they brought them along, and if they've engaged in any artistic endeavors recently.

(Hopefully, you won't get stuck waiting in line to get greeted behind one of these folks; these conversations can get long.)

In any case, why not head to your bedroom for the weekend (and wow, those are their own little experience, aren't they?), drop your bags, and see what the life of the rich and famous has to offer for you?

THE MANSION SIGHTS

Bedrooms

Even for a mansion of such staggering size, the sheer number of rooms that are made up into bedrooms is far, far too many. You even get the feeling that the mansion was expanded at times simply to fit more bedrooms.

If asked about this frankly excessive amount of bedrooms, Soy will confess that interior design is a bit of a passion of his. He really likes to try out new and unique designs, and it was getting a bit too disruptive to constantly redecorate their own bedroom, so they started building more bedrooms. And more bedrooms. And then even more.

Nowadays they move from one bedroom to the next whenever the whim strikes them.

Dining

Of course during your stay at the mansion, you will be catered to be a veritable flock of chefs. The kitchens that were previously used to host the contest have been converted to function as the main hub for meeting your character's every dietary need. The food that will be served is good, if not incredibly fancy. Sometimes, for seemingly no good reason, it is served on things that are definitely not plates. There is a lot of Kale for some reason.

Of course, you can also make requests of the chefs, but you might need to take a moment and explain exactly what when requesting a grilled cheese sandwich, lest you get some sort of fancy deconstructed dish.

Entertainment

It would be almost impossible to describe everything that can be found inside the mansion. Riegfried and Soy have more money than sense and more whims than sense. As such, anything you could expect to find inside of a mansion of this size (as well as a bunch of things you wouldn't expect) can be found there. A fancy as all hell pool table? Of course. Karaoke room? Third floor to your left. Bowling alley? Super fancy personal matinee? It's all there.

Vivillon Garden

Located partially indoors and partially outdoors, the Vivillon Garden is definitely one of the most awe-inspiring features of the mansion. This little slice of heaven is Riegfried’s pride and joy, and you can certainly see why!

Both the greenhouse and the open-air garden are a rainbow of colors, exotic plants and flowers lining every carefully laid-out path while Riegfried’s many Vivillon (he seems to have every pattern known to man) flit through the air, the sun glinting off their wings. Small private tables and chairs are scattered throughout the garden, along with several decorative benches, allowing visitors to sit and admire the sights, or even enjoy a bite to eat.

Of course, these Vivillon are not to be caught! You wouldn’t want to upset your host, right? But if asked, Riegfried would not mind providing interested guests with a Vivillon egg of their desired pattern, free of charge.

Pools

The mansion boasts not one, but two swimming pools--one indoors, one outdoors, and both completely over the top.

The smaller of the two pools is located indoors--though in this case, smaller still means larger than anything your wallet could ever hope to afford. With white marble, a bright blue ceiling patterned to resemble a bright sunny sky, and a fully stocked and staffed bar on the side, it's pretty clear this pool was never meant to see racing or competition; it just screams relaxation and slow, leisurely afternoons spent reading by the water’s edge while sipping an overly complicated cocktail.

And there's more than "just" the pool. Characters will be able to find two saunas (separated by gender for everybody’s comfort), a hot tub, and even a second (third?) smaller pool, located in a low-lit, adjoining room. The water in this pool has a high salt content, making it perfect for floating on your back, closing your eyes and simply relaxing underneath a ceiling that looks like a dark and starry sky.

Unlike the indoor pool, the large pool outside has been designed to evoke more of a playful and natural feel. Around the edge of the pool, water cascades down an artificial rock face, while carefully picked plant life creates some shade for eager swimmers. A artificial grotto houses a hot tub and another wall-manned bar, there to make sure nobody will have to resort to drinking the pool water if they get thirsty.

Of course, there are sun chairs by the pool’s edge to stretch out on, but why do that when you could be in the water, challenging some friends to a game of Torchick(en)?

Massages and More (but not like that)

What's a weekend spent relaxing in the lap of luxury without tons and tons of self-care? Thankfully, Riegfried and Soy’s mansion has an entire wing dedicated to rubbing, scrubbing, cleansing, and more.

First of all, there is a wide variety of massages available, offered by trained professionals, both for you and your Pokémon. Why not stretch out and enjoy a nice aromatherapy massage (aromas provided by a very well-trained Bellossom) or perhaps a hot stone massage (when you’ve got Magcargo heated stones, you know it's good) or go for a good old-fashioned Kantonian massage provided by a resident Machoke?

And once your every muscle has been kneaded and rubbed, how about indulging yourself in the very wide variety of facial and body masks available? You are going to be attending a formal dance on Sunday, after all. Don’t you want to look your best? Don’t you want your skin to simply glow, your hands to be soft as silk and your feet to be ready for a night of dancing? Whether you are looking for sugar scrubs, mud treatments, salt scrubs, or even more exotic treatments, you are sure to find it here.

AVAILABLE POKEMON

Considering the mansion is, well, a mansion, it probably won’t come as a surprise that there aren’t exactly lots and lots of wild Pokémon to catch here. Pokemon like living in tall grass, after all; not on the well-manicured lawns of the ridiculously rich.

But if you had come to prom hoping to pick up another friend or two, no need to despair! With the Safari Zone just around the corner, your hosts have arranged that anyone with a prom invite will be able to enter the Safari Zone freely, as often and for as long as they wish. If all the fuss and self-indulgence at the mansion isn’t quite your style, why not visit the Safari zone for a few hours and scamper through the mud and grass to your heart’s content?

ANNOUNCEMENT

While welcoming and directing people to their rooms, Riegfried and Soy also mention that there will be a small announcement later in the afternoon about one of the surprises they've been planning for this prom, so please do attend to hear what will be going on!

Once everybody has dropped off their suitcases and gathered for the announcement, Soy and Riegfried guide them down to a small (relatively speaking) foyer and a pair of closed double doors.

"First let me speak for Riegfried and myself and say how delighted we are to be hosting this prom for you! For this weekend, our home is your home. Please do not hesitate to ask us if you need anything at all. That being said, we'vetaken the liberty of arranging a few surprises for you during this prom, the first of which I'd like to reveal right now!"

Soy claps his hands together, his eyes shining bright.

"While Sunday evening will of course be reserved for dancing, Riegfried and I have decided to organize a special contest for you all on Sunday morning! Why not combine the glamour of an evening soiree with the excitement of a contest, after all?

I can already see you're all wondering what this contest's theme will be, so I will not dawdle about the big reveal. Come Sunday morning, we want to see your take on Fashion and Glamour! We understand this is a very broad subject, especially when you are so pressed for time, so we thought it might be fun to see you try and incorporate your bedroom theme in your contest choices!"

He's smiling, sparkling as he gestures for silence, not wanting to be interrupted by questions just yet.

"Of course, we also realize that by surprising you like that, you won't have had a chance to bring your contest essentials with you, so Riegfried dear and I took the added liberty of providing those for you. We collected some of our old things. These clothes served us well at the time, but now it is time for them to be reborn, within the fires of your creativity."

At this point, Riegfried opens the doors behind them to reveal what can only be described as the world's best-stocked sewing atelier. The circular room is absolutely filled to the brim with everything one could possibly need while designing or altering clothing, from sewing machines to an entire display case of different ribbons, from baskets and baskets full of different buttons and gems to enough thread (of every color imaginable) to string up an Onix. And as if that wasn't enough, there are three adjoining massive walk-in closets, filled with those few old things Soy was talking about.

"You are free to use and alter anything in this room as you see fit. And keep it too, of course! We look forward to seeing what you can come up with!"

THE DANCE

And on Sunday evening it is finally time for the grand event of the weekend.

A large staircase will take characters up to Riegfried and Soy's personal ballroom, a room which has been closed off up until now. Access to the room is granted by two massive double doors and as expected of your hosts, this room is absolutely, wildly over-the-top.

The center of the room is left empty, though hopefully it will soon be filled with people mingling and dancing. Delicate white tables and chairs stand at strategic intervals along the sides of the room, allowing those who need a bit of rest a place to sit. And amongst these stand several large tables laden with food and drink, constantly attended to by a flock of servers who make sure that empty plates are whisked away as soon as possible, only to be replaced with immaculately-arranged replacements. The parts of the table not laden with food hold a seemingly endless supply of delicate glasses filled with only the best wines and champagnes, although there are also non-alcoholic options for the youngsters among us. Set a bit apart, there is one table that holds not one, but three enormous chocolate fountains (white, milk and dark), as well as everything one could possibly want to dip into chocolate and eat.

Several opened doors along the side of the room give access to the balconies, where people can go for a moment of privacy, or just to breathe in the night air. It's only April, so it will get pretty chilly, but then again, isn't that just a good excuse to stand a little closer with your loved one?

But before you can witness all this in person, it seems your hosts have a little announcement.

There, on the stairs (forming a very well-dressed barrier between your characters and the ballroom), stand Reigfriend and Soy. And just behind them, looking every bit as well-dressed, is a third man many might recognise. Why, it's Solus zos Galvus, also known as Emet-Selch, an otherworlder like yourself! What is he doing there?

"Welcome to the final event of this year's prom. We hope you have enjoyed your stay here at our home." That is Riegfried starting off, greeting the characters with a small bow and a gesture of his hand. "Being able to serve as your hosts for this weekend has brought Soy and myself great pleasure, though we must admit we have one final surprise for you yet."

"Indeed," Soy takes over, smiling brightly. Now that your attention is drawn toward him, you'll notice he's standing next to a table with several baskets. "We know that ending these weekends with a dance has been a Prom tradition going back several years; however, my dear Riegfried and I couldn't help but put our own little spin on things. This last surprise we have in store for you is not our doing alone, but the efforts of one of your own, who's helped us prepare for you the experience of a lifetime. So before I reveal our little surprise to you, I would like to speak for Riegfried and myself and extend our warmest thanks to our new dear friend Solus zos Galvus for all his hard work in helping us organise this."

Soy is quiet for a moment. It seems like he's expecting you to clap. Clap, please.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to reveal our last and perhaps greatest surprise for you."

Like a true showman, Soy is able to stretch the excitement of the moment, allowing it to build as he reaches into one of the baskets, pulling out a golden mask.

"Welcome to our Masquerade!"

Prom FAQ

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"Magic? That stuff is weird," Sasha mumbles, not knowing she's right too. All she knows is that the more she talks to Jean here, the more it seems silly that she couldn't recognize him all night long. If only either of them knew how these dumb masks were designed to actually work.

"Oh... I figured you'd just hang out with them all night. Because... you know." Because he's a peacocking hobag who loves that kind of attention and the masses are generally better prospects than Sasha considers herself. That's a competition Sasha wouldn't even think about entering.

"It's fun to get all that attention, for sure," Jean couldn't help but agree with her, because, come one, nobody on this planet would believe him if he protested otherwise. "But I still need a dance from you. That was the agreement, wasn't it? You might even find out that you like it."

He offered her his open palm with a slight bow. Even leaning over, he's still taller than her.

"Shall we?"

Fun getting attention? Sasha wouldn't know a thing about that. And she's convinced that something like that would never happen to her anyway, so she doesn't consider it an actual possibility.

Yes, the agreement. That dancing thing. Sasha frowns slightly looking down at Jean's hand as she wipes her palm on her dress. How ladylike, sweaty hands and how she solves the issue. No one could ever mistake her for royalty like this. But she's had her tacos; Jean gets his dance.

"I guess," she says, placing her hand in his without any amount of ceremony. In her head, she says a quiet apology beforehand to his feet because they're about to get stomped on. "I'm not going to like it, though."

Now that she's sure of.

Jean has the urge to snort at her wiping her hands off on her dress, very classy, very ladylike, but holds it back. He knows he's got her on thin ice here, and the slightest injury to her fragile self esteem could ruin the night. He has to be the perfect gentleman now.

A tall task for a chronic asshole, but he was game.

"Come on," he replies as he leads her out to the dance floor. "You've gotta at least have an open mind about it. Think of it like the first time you used the gear. Sure it was dangerous, but it was kinda thrilling, right?"

Fragile self esteem? How rude! Her self esteem is just fine! Sasha's just honest about her shortcoming. That doesn't mean anything about her self esteem... right?

In all honesty, Sasha actually way more prepared for Jean to be his chronic assholish self than this gentlemanly side he's showing tonight. Not that she's thinking so little of him; just knowing what she's familiar with is actually comforting.

"Yeah, but we were also training for the good of humanity," Sasha replies as she follows beside him. For all her grousing, at least she's not pulling away from Jean. "There was a point to it. And there wasn't weird music to it."

"For the good of humanity? Sure, but..." He couldn't help himself. This might make her feel more at ease. "Weren't you there for the three square meals a day? At least at the beginning."

"I mean, remember me back then? Before the Corps? What a shithead."

"Yes... no... I mean, kind of?" It's hard to really find one particular reason why she was there. Of course, home life was rough. It was like that for all of the kids in one way or another. And Sasha certainly wanted to run away from the way her life was changing. But she also needed to eat, indeed, and the military was a guaranteed meal at least once a day. So he's right, but not quite completely right. Jean is just not stating all of the reasons.

"You still are," she snorts, yet continuing to let him lead her to the dance floor. If he's going to make fun of her penchant for food, then she's going to remind Jean just how much of a horse's ass he remains. "I think you just joined to beat Eren up a bunch of times."

"It's not a wrong reason," Jean added, just to make certain she didn't feel like he was looking down on her. Metaphorically. Physically, he couldn't help it. "I was only there hoping to land on easy street once it was over. Wanting to be able to eat is more noble than that."

"And don't knock having a nemesis until you've tried it. It's real motivation. I did everything I could to rank higher than him, and even my best wasn't enough."

Even in her heels, she can't begin to stop Jean from looking down on her. Physically. Damn his maturity and hitting an age not ending in -teen. When will she grow up, not out?!

"But life is easier when you can eat." She doesn't exactly see his goal as a problem. A few years ago, she might have; after all, the upper classes weren't very kind to her or people like her. Becoming part of that world might have made Jean a bigger shithead than he used to be, but at least he would have been a fed and sheltered shithead. Sasha can't fault him for that. "I left home because things were changing for Dauper and I didn't like it. The military was the only place I had to go."

Sasha doesn't exactly remember if she ever told Jean exactly why she ran away from home. She certainly wasn't the first kid to do so and wasn't the last either, so maybe that's why it never came up. Everybody might have just assumed all the cadets' goal was to avoid working in the fields for life.

Sasha purses her lips, clearly thinking of a response to Jean's last statement and comes up with it after a few moments. "At least you're here. I mean, here, in this place. Where you don't have to worry anymore."

In her eyes, that means he won against Eren in something. The luck department, maybe.

Sasha, the sad truth of being a woman is that you're basically finished growing at 14, and anything else is just padding. Meanwhile, beanpoles like Jean keep putting on inches into their 20's.

"The worry doesn't stop," he answered. "but I've put it out of mind, for now."

It took him a year out in the woods to shake off the feeling that he'd unfairly escaped the nadir of his service. He still didn't think he deserved to be here. He'd never stop looking over his shoulder, and the nightmare were here for good. But he had begun to enjoy the present again.

Once he had her in the middle of the floor, he asked: "Have you ever waltzed before?"

She'd like to promise him that the nightmares will stop, that there's never truly any need to worry about anything, but she'd be a liar. It's been years since Sasha escaped the clutches of the Titan, but she still finds herself waking up in a cold sweat every other night, fighting for her breath as if she's being squeezed. Then there are the fireworks, things that the people here insist on using for celebrations. She never did enjoy any of the New Year's events they have here. The explosions remind her too much of the cannons and rifles back home and instead of socializing, she stays where the sound can't reach her ears.

And if anyone deserves to live in such an idyllic place, it's these war-torn kids, now adults.

Sasha looks up at Jean, a quizzical expression on her face. "No?" He gets a question in response for his question simple because Sasha has no idea exactly what a waltz is.

"Hey, I don't know," he explained, "you've been here longer than me. Maybe you had a boyfriend once without me knowing."

If Armin could get some, Sasha had at least as much of a chance.

"It's the dance that everyone around here is doing. I'm gonna touch your waist, so don't knee me in the balls."

"No. Boys like the other girls here, so I haven't had one." It's said so bluntly that it sounds like Sasha actually ran a poll of who liked her and came up with the answer of zero. She hasn't, not scientifically at least, but considering not one boy has ever looked her way, flirted with her, or kissed her, much less held her hand. In fact, Jean is the first one to ever touch her hand, even if it's just to lead her across the room.

And now he's going to touch her waist. In her mind, she might as well enjoy it even if it's purely platonic. It'll never happen again.

"O-okay," she nods, glancing at the other couples dancing. Looks decent enough. Better to not get any ideas in her head about Jean and the capability of his hands.

"Are you giving them the chance to see you? Nobody can give you the time of day if you're somewhere out in the woods or something. Personal experience."

"It's pretty simple. You've just got to have a sense of rhythm," Jean explained, as he took one of her hands to rest on his shoulder, and held the other in his own. "Can you hear how the music is going 1-2-3? You step along with that count. Try and follow my lead."

"They see me. They just don't want me." It's not like she hides in the woods. (Her room is messy, but ain't the wilderness!) Sasha is just aware that unless she opens her mouth and show people how uneducated she is compared to all the modern folk here, she just blends into the background. She doesn't have Jean's height, Mikasa's muscles, Armin's intelligence, Historia's looks, nothing but mousy brown hair and a formerly underfed figure that's now been softened with a lack of training and an increase in food. For all she's convinced, she appears no difference than a shrub on the side of the road.

Luckily, Sasha can count to at least ten, so 1-2-3 is easy enough. Though forgive her as she does so outloud, just under her breath. Using the gear seemed way easier than this.

"You sure? Doesn't sound right to me."

If asked, Jean wouldn't be able to say there was anything striking about Sasha's looks, but that wasn't the point. She understood something about him that only one other person here could. She was one of his best friends. Intimacy could make up for nearly any shortcoming, if you just let someone get that close.

And he respected her, which wasn't something he could say for most people he met these days.

"One--that's because you're not me, Jean. Two, three--they would have said something if they wanted me. One, two--Like even if Ymir was around, you guys always talked about Historia or Mikasa, what you liked about them, talked to them... That doesn't happen to me. Not at home. Not here."

And Sasha doesn't understand why people don't believe her when she says this. She's not all that educated, but she has eyes and ears that work and a brain that can process things given enough time, and in the years she's lived here, there's never been anybody who talked about her the way they talked about other girls. Or to her like that. People keep trying to convince her that she's wrong, but none of those people are trying to date her, are they? Survey says no. It's just things they say to be polite, to cheer her up with kind platitudes, and what does Sasha know better than faking politeness?

Frowning, Sasha stops moving and grouses: "I lost count." Don't even start on her letting people get close. Even if she wasn't still scarred and terrified over that, the idea of her and Jean being anything more than friends is just as scary (and impossible) as wondering how to get a lover and keep them. Either by her ability to keep them interested in her or because she still doesn't know why everybody she allows in ends up leaving.

"Yeah, that was because I was a horny teenager with most of his brain still in his dick," Jean readily explained without feeling the need to censor himself at all. Sasha was part of his no-filter club. She could take it. "We all were. Adults think differently. Now I know that Historia would probably bite it off before she let it anywhere near her."

"Don't worry about it. You had it there, just keep going."

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Prom 2021, McMansion edition

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