Don’t worry about the future.

[mansionstaff]

Who: EV ERY ONE
What: Graduation. Prom.
When: The evening of May 31st.
Where: The Stadium.
Warnings: WHO KNOWS

It's a beautiful spring evening at Smash Academy, the barest hints of summer just beginning to touch the stadium floor, which had been rearranged into a platform overlooking neat rows of chairs meant to seat the gathered crowd of faculty and students. Towards the other end of the complex was the arrangement for the prom that was to follow. Food and drink, chairs and tables, each with a floral centerpiece, and, of course, a dance floor.



Before everyone could get their party on, however, there was the main event of the evening. From his place at the podium, Master Hand watched students and staff alike find their way into the stadium. With the recent shadow bug invasion, there seemed to be tensions in need of dispelling. If the Headmaster knew one thing, however, it was that some silly antics were not going to ruin this esteemed event. Not tonight. Not if he could help it.

-------

HEY DUDES! Here's how stuff is going to work. We kick off the log with GRADUATION. This part of the log will be divided into separate threads. I'll post them all at once, so feel free to hop around, mingle, post whenever, wherever.

HOWEVER, once the PROM starts, it will be up to you guys to post your own threads. Please check out last year's log if you'd like an idea of how this works. Everything after the thread titled "DISMISSAL" (I will post that in a bit, so don't post prom threads until I have that up!) will be considered prom, though don't let that stop you from continuing to post in the graduation section.

Please label all your threads appropriately! (Examples: "SHENANIGANS AT THE FOOD TABLE", "DANCE-OFF", "THE PUNCH IS SPIKED", "BOTHER X" In general, a location + what is going on in the thread is the way to go. Obviously, more than one thread can take place at the same location. 

Linking back and forth when and if you thread hop is very much appreciated. If things start to look a bit laggy, we'll bump to the next page. Most importantly, TAG YOUR DUDES, HAVE FUN, and let a mod know about any problems or concerns you might have!

Comments

Re: BEST CHAPERONE

[flamejock]

Wasn't this guy also a dog? He was a dog, too. Dogs were good people.

Jock went to stand next to Jon while staring at the dance floor.

"Hi," said Jock, not looking at Jon.

[jonny_talbain]

"Good evening." Jon replied, looking at Jock and raising a querying eyebrow. Considering Jock was a canine, and a lot of canine communication was body language, he could read the Arcanine's mood like a book.

It wasn't that he didn't care. It was just that he was terrible at everything involving feelings. At least, feelings that weren't Riwane's feelings. He was good at those by now. But Jock was something else entirely and he didn't want to ask 'what's wrong?' because then he'd be in part responsible for the answer and that couldn't end well for anyone.

Then again he was a chaperone and maybe Jock had an actual prom problem that it was his real life responsibility to deal with. Damn and blast.

"What... ah. What's the matter, then? You seem a little out of sorts?"

[flamejock]

Jock continued to stare at the dance floor.

"My trainer is here with another trainer. He asked her to the dance. I don't trust him. I can't trust him. I need to be there, out there, with my trainer, but I can't be. Not right now. She told me not to. So I can't. An Arcanine does what his trainer tells him to do. But, it just eats me from the inside. I should be there. For her."

As he said what he felt, he grew more tense, and continued to stare more intently at the dance floor, looking for anything, any pretext at all, that said that Blue needed his help, and he should swoop in and save her.

"I just. I just want to bite things."

[jonny_talbain]

There was a dilemma Jon had never really faced. He'd never had a pack in the same way Jock did. There was no matriarch in his life who's orders he was to follow. Still. He could empathize at least somewhat. There were people he didn't want to come to any harm and he trusted next to no-one...

"Don't bite things. That will have you removed from the dance and then you're no good to her whatsoever." Jon reminded Jock. Needlessly, he thought. But just in case, it was probably worth saying.

"Why do you distrust this other trainer? Any particular reason?"

[flamejock]

"I know. I know. She told me that when I want to do something dumb, I should do something good for me instead, like going running, but I can't go running because I'm stuck in here, so I just can't do anything," he said, finally turning his attention to look at Jon all surly-like.

"I can't trust him because. . . because she's too wonderful and perfect and good to trust with anybody who isn't on her team. She's the most important thing in the world and I let her down once, and I can't ever do it again. I always have to be there for her, and not let her get hurt by somebody she cares about. It's the most important thing in the world to me. I love her. So. Much." The ardent devotion that radiated off of the distressed Arcanine was blinding in its passion.

[jonny_talbain]

So much devotion. He almost had to take a step back as the sheer weight of Jock's love pressed on his form as a leaf in a hurricane.

"I see." he replied, frowning. "It's... obvious. How much you love her, I mean. But... a part of love is letting folk make their own mistakes sometimes. If that makes sense. You... ah. You say you let her down once before and I'm assuming you mean someone hurt her? Trust her to have learned from that mistake. Give her not just your care, but your confidence, too."

That was rich. Jon was not a trusting man by any means. However, he did at least trust those he cared about to be independent and learn from their mistakes. Mistakes were easy to make. He'd made several. More than. And he'd learned from each one.

[flamejock]

"No, I was the one who hurt her," said Jock. "It was me, being stupid, and dumb, and bad, and awful, who hurt her. And I can't stand to see that happen again. It's my fault, and that's the exact opposite of what an Arcanine is supposed to be. So, it tears at me, like a Meowth Scratching my heart, thinking that someone else might hurt her, and me not there to do anything about it!"

It wasn't that he couldn't trust Green. It was that he couldn't trust Jock.

[jonny_talbain]

"I see."

What could this goofy bugger have done to hurt his trainer so much, according to him? Jon was becoming a little intrigued as to what might have transpired to cause this level of anxiety.

"My point still stands, at least in part. Have confidence in her to make smart choices for herself."

[flamejock]

"She's so smart," said Jock in a strange, strained voice that bespoke of his love.

"But I worry anyway."

[jonny_talbain]

"Have you thought that perhaps she'd not want you to worry to the point where you're unable to enjoy yourself?" Jon asked reasonably. "I daresay she's no small amount of regard for you as well, and if she knew you were so upset as to be standing here chatting with me about how upset you are instead of running about out there-" he gestured to 'out there' which pretty much amounted to 'in the gym where exciting things are happening undoubtedly' "--having fun, she might not enjoy herself either?"

[flamejock]

"Oh no," said Jock. "I'm making her sad. And now I'm sadder. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no."

Thanks for being reasonable, Jon.

[jonny_talbain]

"Oh bollocks."

This wasn't going quite as well as it could have been.

"What I mean to say is, why not go and have some fun and let her be for the evening, eh? You've plenty of friends at the dance I'm sure would be happy to see you. Why not go and pay them a visit and take your mind off your worries for the moment?"

[flamejock]

"But if I have fun, and something happens, then it's my fault that she gets hurt. I can't do it. I just can't do it. Even if I was with friends, I'd still be thinking only about her. I can't stop thinking about it. You look up loyalty in the dictionary and there's a picture of an Arcanine right there. I can't help it. It's in the fire in my soul."

All these things were true. Dictionaries in Pokeworld are really poorly designed.

[jonny_talbain]

"If you have fun here at Prom, how can anything possibly happen and escape your notice, hmm? You're in the same building, in the same general area. You'd notice, I'm sure."

He wanted to put it to Jock that there was a fine line between loyalty and unhealthy fixation and wasn't sure exactly how to do this in a way that was kind.

"How about find some other members of your team and have fun with them, eh? I believe... Edel and Kiki are here?" He hoped he'd remembered the names correctly. "I'm sure they're equally loyal and just as likely to want to make sure Blue has a lovely evening. And as I'm a chaperone and it is my job to ensure that everyone here is having a splendid and safe time, I shall endeavor to use my chaperone powers to make sure your Trainer remains safe."

There. Surely THAT had to make some headway.

[flamejock]

I'll unhealthy your fixation.

Jock perked up at the teammate suggestion, however.

"Yeah," said Jock. "Yeah, I should find them, and get them to help me," said Jock. "They need me to help them watch Blue."

Jock that's. You literally just moved from 'I need their help' to 'I'm doing this for them.' Jock you. Are really conceited.

[jonny_talbain]

Conceited, yes. Probably.

But Jon had an inkling that Jock's team could probably better deal with the Arcanine's mood than he could. If there was some way to snap him out of this mindset for a while or at least provide some sort of positive distraction, they were more likely to know it.

"I am sure they'll appreciate your assistance."

[flamejock]

"Yeah, okay," said Jock. "I'll see you later, bye."

He gave Jon a brief lick on the cheek.

And then, dear reader, he was gone.

[jonny_talbain]

"Right. See you." Jon said, watching the fluffy, burly man disappear into the crowd.

He felt manly saliva drying on his cheek.

What had his life become?