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

[punchtheflute]

"D... don't you know?" He asked quietly. "Of course I have."

He'd fallen in love with her a long time ago. He knew things had changed between them, but at least one thing hadn't. He loved her just as much now as he ever had, and the manner in which he loved her hadn't changed at all. He didn't love her like a sister. Nor did he love her, precisely, as a very dear friend. He loved her in that way too, and if it were to be destined so, he could be happy with just that. But there was something more to the way he felt about her and it just.... hadn't gone anywhere and he didn't see it disappearing any time soon.

But maybe he shouldn't have admitted that aloud. Maybe he should have left it unsaid and just carried on with their evening and allowed things to remain as they had been. Close and comfortable and fun and without expectation. He'd told Kiyotaka that he'd be more direct about things but there was always that nagging voice in the back of his head telling him to tread carefully and think ahead and be mindful of other's feelings before his own.

[liberatedempath]

Of course he had. He made it sound like it was obvious. She probably should have known it personally. And to a degree, something inside of her had. It made her reassess her own feelings, of course. She was, ever consistently thinking about how she felt regarding other people. Her own relation to them, what she wanted of them, and what they ultimately wanted of her.

Sonny was kind and generous, and was certainly something of a 'first love,' if one didn't count how badly Voile had wanted (and tried) to save Cyrus. That was certainly a frantic love of some kind and she couldn't find it in herself to deny it. She wanted to rescue him. And she was almost willing to sacrifice herself to do so, and at one point in time, she had no issues with laying her life down before him. And that was just what he wanted.

Sonny, on the other hand, had never really asked her for anything in return. Didn't even ask her to love him. It would have been odd to have someone make that sort of request, however, and she knew it. Loving Sonny had come naturally and while she'd had an inkling of it before, significantly it displayed itself once he had left. That saying of people never really knowing what they had until they'd lost it was an apparent one.

"I'm not... sure I knew," Voile stumbled along mostly stupidly. "Maybe a part of me did. I'm not sure I really ever allowed myself to think too much of it. Maybe because I didn't want to put you in an uncomfortable position to say something you might not have been ready to say. Sounds like I don't really know you at all, though."

[punchtheflute]

"I've always been ready to say it." Sonny clarified, squeezing her hand again. "But I wasn't always sure you were ready to hear it. So, I keep it to myself mostly and I just figured, probably a day might come where I could be more direct about things."

He shrugged. Between disappearing for a year, and then stuff with Marie... well. He'd done a pretty good job of putting his thoughts and feelings on the back burner in favor of being there for his Brother and the girl he loved - the girl THEY loved. Having a job and learning an instrument and concentrating on classes and lifting and learning how to cook and keeping out of situations where he allowed himself to think about it too much helped.

Maybe he didn't have to be that way any more. What had Kiyotaka said? 'Let there be no confusion!'

"I love you just the same as I have since... well. Years ago. And if you didn't know that, it's my fault. I'm not really direct about it. I worry about things and I second guess stuff and I probably think too hard and talk myself out of speaking more openly? But there it is. That's the truth. I am very much in love with you and it hasn't changed."

[liberatedempath]

She could understand what he meant. He didn't even have to say it, because she was thinking of Marie, too. Before Sonny had left, Voile had just come to terms with how serious her feelings were for him. It was part of the reason she had been so affected by his departure. That, and the idea that she hadn't uttered a word to him about sentiments.

He'd come back and suddenly there was someone in his place, and Voile had vowed not to have a repeat. So when she had grown to love Marie, she made sure the Wartortle knew it. And sure enough, not too long after that, Marie had left too, but at least he left knowing Voile loved him, despite his treatment of her. And she still loved him in that moment where she was standing with Sonny. Not in the way she loved the Snorlax, but it was a definite affection that she couldn't deny.

And for once, she was glad he wasn't there. Yet in another, she had to admit that she wanted to see him again.

Voile shook her head. "You never have to say anything you aren't certain about and I'll never want to put you in a position to do that. I assume that before this moment, you didn't speak up for your own reasons and that's fine. There's nothing wrong with thinking about how you feel or how to have a conversation involving something in-depth and somewhat complicated. I imagine I second-guess myself all the time."

[punchtheflute]

"It's funny, though. Isn't it?" he asked, smile becoming a little sheepish. "I sometimes wonder how much time I waste, worrying about whether I should say things. I mean, really, because I have to eat and sleep so much just to be healthy? I have less time than most people. Probably, I should be wiser about how I spend it."

[liberatedempath]

"Everyone has a wiser way to spend their time."

And that was true. Instead of her excessive thought, Voile could have had some new dresses tailored for her. She could have fully organised the summer or fall contest. She could have even put together a host club event commemorating the next schoolyear. Instead, she spent so much of her time thinking. Thinking that much couldn't have been a boon.

"We should both work on that," she announced with a short little nod. "I know I could use some improvement."

[punchtheflute]

"OK! We'll both try and do less thinking and more doing." Sonny affirmed with a nod. He was still holding her hand and so he shook it gently. It was a deal, after all.

"...Hey! Let's dance?" he said, inclining his head towards the dance floor. He could always come back to his plate of snacks later, and Voile hadn't had many snacks to begin with.

[liberatedempath]

Oh, right. Dancing. Hadn't he said he wanted to take lessons, so he could dance with her? Seemed as if he was serious enough. She eyed her plate of lacking snacks as poor as the habit was to eat so little, and gave him a nod as she set it down.

"All right," she agreed. "Did you practise? I'm surprised you're so keen on doing it."

[punchtheflute]

"I went to dance club to learn when Shantae was offering to teach people!" Sonny replied, leading her carefully by the hand, not wanting to just up and drag her there.

"And I practiced when I could and memorized the steps and everything. I think you'll like it. I hope so!"

[liberatedempath]

Her hand closed against his carefully with a lighter grip, but betrayed her interest in seeing how his effort and practise paid off. It was so important to him that he went to a dance club with the new dancing instructor.

"If you enjoy yourself," Voile began, "that will mean everything to me. You don't have to be a good dancer. You don't even have to dance at all."

[punchtheflute]

"I'm definitely going to enjoy myself." Sonny affirmed, turning to face her once they reached the floor and placing a big hand on her shoulder. "But! I hope you enjoy yourself too, because that will make me enjoy it even more. If you have fun, I can't fail to have a good time!"

[liberatedempath]

"I think I'll like it just fine." She didn't even know why he was calling it into question. "I made mention of it purely because you like to worry and I'm trying to tell you to not worry." But that was the kind of thing that was easier said than done. After all, if someone simply told her to not worry, she probably couldn't have done it, simply because of how she was as a person.

[punchtheflute]

"Then let's both not worry and just have fun." Sonny replied, starting to step with the music. It was... a little quicker than the music he had practiced with so his footsteps had to be a little quicker too.