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.

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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

[mohawk_tomahawk]

Which was why Connor wasn't too fond of the emotion, as he was not fond of greed. Greed corrupted men and women, countless of times. Connor didn't want to feel this way, nor did he want to bother anyone with it.

There are those who would say all men and women feel it sometimes, like his mother just said. Eirik reassured him that he was of no trouble and he shouldn't be ashamed.

Despite being reassured he wasn't a greedy man, he still wasn't fond of the feeling; so he channeled it elsewhere. Simple concern. Acceptance that he had those feelings was one thing, but he knew those emotions were poor. He just felt that himself and even if others said it was natural, he didn't want it to be so. He expected better of himself.

There would be those that would say he was naive, or childishly optimistic, for that.

However, he was curious about what his own mother would say regardless of how he placed judgment upon himself.

"No," he said softly, considering his words. "Princess Eirik is capable of charming the hearts of many, at times I felt like perhaps she had charmed...other men."

His teal-haired companion was probably easy to spot out there, as she was socializing with Ike, who she came with on this evening. Connor remembered Valentines' Day, and when he saw her kiss another. Of course, Connor knew it wasn't her and she had done nothing wrong then and now.

[nottheproblem]

Ah. It had to do with his lady love. Ziio couldn't ever picture herself with anyone of royal descent. It was hard to picture and even though she'd witnessed it plenty, it was difficult to come to terms with Connor picking one for his future to be with on some level. She had her doubts that she tended to keep to herself. That she tried to keep to herself, anyway.

"I don't know much about royalty," Ziio admitted slowly. "Yet it seems the duty of each member to be charming. For good and bad motives. The Princess Eirik is no exception. She seems to have an idea of where her priorities need to be."

After a pause, she continued, "Mm. She will always be a princess, my son. Even when you wish her not to be. I know you understand what it is you have to look toward in going down this pathway. Although it would be safe to remember that some royalty has been known to act deceitfully."

[mohawk_tomahawk]

Most of what Ziio said was what he knew already. He accepted that perhaps maybe his mother wasn't too keen on him having a relationship with someone of royal blood. Connor didn't plan this on happening either. In fact, love life wasn't anything he could picture. People sometimes spoke of who their "ideal" woman, or man, was. Connor had no such thoughts of that nature. He believed that things fell into place when it could with this matter. He was going to fall in love with someone, that someone would return the feelings mutually. Let things go as life had it. Do what he could to help this relationship thrive, because it was what he wanted. Just everything to work out.

It was hard to think of what kind of future they had though, but Connor knew he should. Especially with his title graciously given to him, in order to help her people. That meant there was a future, was there? Eirik always thought of the future, so did Connor.

The future of their relationship, though? Hard to interpret.

Royalty in general was hard to interpret.

He made his opinions quite clear of how he felt about unjust kings.

"There can be leaders truthful as well," pausing only to consider his words even further. There was a lot in his mind right now in regards to this, and it was hard to piece in simple sentences without going into this large debate.

"Power passed through generations by blood alone weaves a path for corruption. I know this, have witnessed this. Even those not within a royal family can be corrupted and be deceitful."

Let's make that clear.

"Through all that I have seen, through all the lies told to me by men with authority, through the feigned selflessness," he continued. "Is it hard to believe perhaps there are those who are truly sincere? That the charm is genuine? I do not think people are so jaded that there are those who do not share the views to make things better for no one's benefit but the people around them."

In other words, he trusted her.

[nottheproblem]

Ziio shook her head. "I cannot call the princess's nature into question. I don't know her well enough and I can imagine I am not so welcoming that she should be compelled to see me, that I might learn more." And there was honestly some curiosity there. Who was the woman, really, that had caught her son so?

What she knew of Eirik amounted to very little in total. A young woman of next to no renown in the academy, yet with an impact severe enough to influence Connor. To what? Be a better person. He was already too good of a person. A man filled with sometimes naive hopes, and that was coming from a rather jaded woman. Ziio could admit she was cynical at times, if not most of the time. Realistic, and not very optimistic.

"Since I cannot question her motives personally, it is up to you to keep all things in consideration. You have proven me inaccurate so far where she's concerned. And if you are so aware of the sincerity in those of royal lineage, why the concern over envy and whose hearts she may charm?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "If you wholly trusted her, it would not concern you. That you make mention of it to me means you are not fully certain of your relationship with her, or where it is you stand, something that is the responsibility of you both." And he probably knew that, too, but with how independent he was, if he was making mention of it to her, it implied he was looking for some motherly advice.

"As an outside eye, I think in the times I have seen you two together, both of you look at each other in a way that either of you look at others." Because she supposed he deserved a little reassurance.

[mohawk_tomahawk]

"It is not her I distrust," Connor made clear. "I do not distrust the companion she is with. He is a friend whom does not attend these gatherings, she wanted to make him feel welcome."

But he gave eyes in their direction anyway, he did not know the man. Connor wanted to trust Ike, but how can you trust a man you know nothing about? But on the same coin, did he have room to distrust either? No.

While his mother's final words eased him a little, he realized maybe he was in denial somewhat. Was it a mother's advice he needed, or another one to tell him he felt what he did and there should be no point in hiding from it.

Eirik knew, Ziio knew now. But Connor was simply still unsatisfied.

"I do not wish to cause discontent, nor do I wish to smother her into feeling like she cannot trust me. But I have had difficulty quelling concern and curiosity. It is something petty, and I do not wish to let it consume me."

[nottheproblem]

She watched his gaze move, a little curious, and found she couldn't help but wonder if she ever looking after Haytham or Gordon in that fashion. Not that she didn't trust them, but rather that she might not have trusted someone else who was with them. But on the other hand, she knew Gordon and Haytham to both be self-sufficient. That must have been the difference.

The princess was... well. A princess. She wasn't. And Eirik was probably nothing like Ziio. It hard not to be concerned for someone who wasn't self sufficient and when she began to put that together, she slowly nodded, as if the gears in her head were already turning.

"I always wondered what it would be like to see you like this," she admitted. "You are nothing like me in that regard, I find. Or maybe we did the same thing in different ways." Worry had less to do with it. For Ziio had simply wanted to stop time, and since she couldn't, she found herself simply retreating into the forest with Haytham.

[mohawk_tomahawk]

"...Are you disappointed then?"

He was now genuinely curious about that now. Connor kept a straight face about it, even though he wasn't sure where he placed in his own emotions. It was like he was teetering between being childish and acting like an adult.

Again, it was likely he was just disappointed in himself at this point.

[nottheproblem]

"Disappointed?" The question alone was enough to make her eyebrows raise. Disappointed wasn't the word for it at all.

She shook her head at him, "No. We are different people from slightly different times. We would approach things differently." She gave him a subtle nod.

"When I fell in love with your father..." was how she began after a moment's hesitance. "I was aware the world would pull us apart. We both were. We took the days we were given and made the most of them. We secluded ourselves in the forest, away from others and at that time, that was all I wanted. Just him and me together, like that. No more fighting, no more killing, no more slavery, and no more bloodshed."

But good things had come to an end and... "Call it skeptical, but I concern over how long your joy will last."