"You made this?" he said, taking another sip and feeling the warmth go to his head. "That's talent." He couldn't cook—or whatever alchemy you wanted to call making alcohol to spike hot cocoa—to save his life. A handful of granola and meat cooked over a campfire until it wouldn't poison him weren't exactly gourmet dishes. He was pretty good at foraging, too, but eating a plant you just yanked out of the dirt was even less romantic.

"Kalos, huh? I've never been, but I hear it's beautiful. Me? Just boring old Kanto." He waved a hand dismissively. There wasn't anything in Kanto worth it anymore. His expression went serious as Romeo spoke. "I've read about some of what happened here. It's wild." He took a beat to look around the party again. "A real resilient bunch of folks."

Suddenly reminded that he had a plate of snacks, Dom turned to stuff a cookie or two into his mouth. Damn, those were good. He nodded in agreement with Romeo before taking a sip of cocoa through his mouthful of cookie and letting the two flavors mix. One was good, but both were even better. He grinned. "You'll have to show me some good places to eat here." Shit, was that too forward? He winced but tried not to let the feeling settle.

Dom blushed a bit and shrugged. "I dunno about knowledgable. I'm still learning stuff every day. Camping and Pokemon take up most of my time, really. I used to help out a friend of mine who worked for a Pokemon breeder." He tapped his chin for a moment, taking another sip of the cocoa. "Oh I guess I used to make like costumes for Pokemon. It wasn't anything big, just something to do with my hands while I was in the city."

@romeo [break]outfit

☉

Their waltz, graceful and glittering, seems to transport them deeper into another realm with each roundabout. For once, he's thankful for his upbringing. Well practiced steps and plenty of experience leading means he can keep his gaze tethered to her own as the Christmas lights surrounding them become a festive blur.

When the energy between their locked eyes threatens to dissolve at the lowering of her chin, the royal lowers his, too. He won't let go of this connection so easily and, it seems, she doesn't care to either. He smiles at her compliment, managing to hear the notes of their song crescendo into their smooth climax, despite being enraptured by Luka's beauty.

Raising the dainty hand that's clasped itself a little tighter around his right, Remiel parts with the other and leads her into a graceful spin. Life becomes a dream in that moment; timeless and mystifying before he snaps back into reality and seamlessly reels her back in with a dip. The act raises the hem of his pant leg to reveal festive dinosaur socks [x] beneath.

But, clearly, he didn't care who was watching anyway.

The titillating ballad ends with a chime of light, fluffy notes— but the moment does not. Wonder and allure adorn his expression like the soft glow of moonlight as he tenderly pulls her up, one hand at the curve of her waist while the other cradles the back of her head gently. Their lips, inches away from realizing a kiss that has been on his mind for hours. 

And Remiel, waiting to see if she would grant it.

---

⛄ wearing this + a festive top hat
🎶 once upon a december — emile pandolfi
🎁 advent calendar prompt: xmas socks [x]

WINTER BALL + luka chêne

☉

Paxton shook his head, a hand lifting halfway as if ready to catch and steady giada morgan should she sway sideways. "Oh?" It took him a moment to process, eyes flciking between her and CIAN MAHER before letting it go. "Maybe. That'd explain why you're here." He said, nodding at Giada and @elliott . The people that had joined him seemed to have no problem carrying the conversation. Thank the gods. [break][break]

His attention shifted when he heard the light call of his neighbor and he's quick to perk up and return the greeting to luka chêne . As she moved through, he spotted someone else had joined Eris Halla and took a moment to watch before the name, and the memory popped up. illeana reyes looked radiant but Paxton had a hard time forgetting the bad day in the rain. With a small blush he looked away. Not their best first impressions of each other, though some would argue otherwise. [break][break]

He's more than happy for the distraction when Markov approached. Paxton narrowed his eyes at the big mouth. He was funny, Paxton remembered, but couldn't handle it when his jokes were dished back. "I'm off the clock, don't look so nervous." He said before offering the slightest of smirks. "Unless, you've got somethin' to confess?" He held his gaze before doing him the courtesy of adding to his intro. "Nine Markov, my cat likes him. I have yet to form an opinion." Nice. [break][break]

"Sure, if y'can find it." He said glancing around. The party was family friendly right? He doubted they had any kind of open bar here. It didn't feel like the Soiree. "I'll gladly help you to your cab when you get sloppy on me." He said, his smile polite despite the competitiveness tinging his words. [break][break]

TRAINER PAXTON HAS ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE [break]
REMAINING HP [break]
200/200 [break]

[break][break]

+ CIAN MAHER giada morgan @elliott | NOTES [break][break]


[break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i”]the offered mittens are, in the end, accepted.

mostly because there's a whirlwind of activity that follows. and in the midst of trying to give Eris Halla her mittens back, she ends up being taken by the hand and whisked away to another group.

her smile is bright, warm, and spreading when she looks up from the little hand in hers to find a familiar face among the group. FERNANDO SILPH, in all his glory. there's a glimmer in her eyes when it comes to him and it dissipates as quickly as it comes.

the man next to him snags her eye next. DEREK HOFFMAN, who looks a little familiar but she can't quite put a name to his face.

she's sliding to a stop between him and fernando, then, and the group is a little larger now.

"hi," she murmurs. it's polite, mostly. a business casual tone usually kept reserved for these things or silph co. meetings. speaking of, her head dips slightly toward fernando. "sir." gotta be nice to your boss, right? even if he's not exactly a boss but not exactly another either. weird territory.

attention shifts back to derek after and she's offering a hand in greeting, eris's mittens now gathered in the hand still tucked at her side.

"i don't think we've properly met before." her smile widens. "illeana reyes, it's a pleasure!"

winter ball 2021.
outfit