when the ditto’s grasp on its trainer’s hand was broken, it looked lost. standing there, suddenly not spinning anymore, just a dashing young man trapped alone in a swirling sea of dancers. this was a sad moment for louis.[break][break]
who else could it find to dance with it? hidden ditto eyes passed around the room, looking for an opportunity. perhaps it could take a leaf out of amor’s book and cut in on someone else’s dance.[break][break]
”oh. hello mr. rose! no worries. it’s just louis,” she explained. amor would know the ditto from appointments, always around lending a hand. a sidekick, of sorts—and of course, always well-dressed.[break][break]
”are you enjoying the evening?”[break][break]
as amor found her back in typical ballroom fashion, his fingers would also perhaps find the spines of her alien-like costume piece.

[attr="class","ooc"]

tldr:[break]

• fits
• amor cuts in on dance
• ditto louis now searching for dance partner

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

“oh, don’t worry, darling. if anyone should be fashionably late, it’s us.”[break][break]
they arrived, stepping out of the limousine to be met with cameras. velda and her ditto were dressed to the nines and tens and whatever other integers. as they passed, louis held a hand up to greet everyone casually.[break][break]
they made their way inside, and velda’s eyes passed around the room, dreamily catching glimpses of familiar creations. she admired the way they swayed in a waltz across the floor, and how the masks added drama. a story to the dance.[break][break]
”i love a good masquerade,” she smiled, offering her hand to her stylishly disguised date. ”shall we, louis?”[break][break]
and he led her to the dancefloor. hand in hand, they were in motion.

[attr="class","ooc"]

tldr:[break]

• fits
• dancin with louis
• open for interaction

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

”i don’t think the league has it in their budget, and i wouldn’t take money from them, anyways.” there was a quick pinch at the corners of painted lips, a tight red smile wrapping up her candor.[break][break]
what did velda need to start? the same thing she needed from all of her clients, of course.[break][break]
”nothing, really, except, tell me this: what does being a ranger mean to you?”

[attr="class","ooc"]LANCE VOLLANS [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

”thank you, dear!”
and then, ”sparkling water, please!” the request chimed down the hall with the throw of an index finger, conducting her orchestra as her heels kept stepping. [break][break]
when they arrived, she opened the door to usher pluto in. the interior of her office was bare, and a shocking white, a high contrast to the comfortable dark halls preceding it. there was no décor, or furniture save for a desk and two chairs, and a sculpture which loomed above all. its vague face was a glossy black, eyeing down over the contract, with an orchid growing from its mouth.[break][break]
perhaps it was a bird, or a wolf, a woman, or a monster. like a rorschach test, everyone tended to see something different.[break][break]
once inside, she’d offer him a seat.[break][break]
”louis should be here shortly with your drink. do you have any questions before we get started?”

[attr="class","ooc"]Pluto Fürst [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

”what a beautiful memory,” she smiled. this was the good stuff. the meat of inspiration. human connection, the true beating heart of art. ”i’d love to draw more from that."[break][break]
she paused briefly, before continuing with her ideas aloud, ”a touch of lavender, then. flowers, for your family. perhaps i’ll do a basket weave on one of the garments.”[break][break]
by this time, several pages had been marked in her color book, which she set aside. like a touchy painter, she was too early in her process to make such grand reveals as her full palette. it would be finalized after much consideration over a glass of wine from the southern region of galar. perhaps she would even go out for a picnic. all part of the process.[break][break]
”do you trust me, nikita?”[break][break]
though she assumed so already. she was used to having free rein. it was what people paid for.

[attr="class","ooc"]@nikita [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

”fifteen years? congratulations on breaking back onto scene! how exciting.”[break][break]

about jewelry, she responded, “of course! we’ve got plenty of lookbooks. even some things here—although much of the jewelry collection is in kalos, and well, you know.” the barrier situation. they were all cut out from the rest of the world, at least for now. would it be forever? no one knew.[break][break]

while nikita thumbed through her pinterest, velda was clearly struck with inspiration. ”ah, galar. a wonderful idea!” it was a shame what had happened there, indeed. ”the sparkle of the tundra, the glow of glimwood tangle... we’ll capture the morning sunlight of the slumbering weald! i love it.”[break][break]

flipping to another family of swatches with a light hum, she asked, ”tell me more. what charms you the most about the region?”

[attr="class","ooc"]@nikita [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

”of course! i always have time for talent.”[break][break]

with another smooth gesture, velda ushered pluto deeper into the modern maze of high ceiling, and meticulously styled mannequins. in one room, they adorned action poses and sygna suit designs, and in another, they were more fluid, dancing in chiffon gowns of nosegay pink and laden frost.[break][break]

”this way. it’s not my main office, but it’ll do for this afternoon. would you like anything to drink? sparkling water? wine?”

[attr="class","ooc"]Pluto Fürst [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

she listened to the melodrama, hardly unfamiliar with it. trapped like a caged pidgey, and too tired to fly anyways.[break][break]
”that is a predicament, indeed.”[break][break]
despite a whole-hearted belief that he should clean every bit of his own mess, velda could not help herself but to organize any nearby cans in a place she determined to be out of the way.[break][break]
was it unwise that anzu had come to hoenn, in the midst of all its strife? ”yes,” velda responded matter-of-factly. ”very much so.”[break][break]
with a sigh, she leaned against the counter, crossing her arms. ”but i’m here too, aren’t i?" and she refused to leave. maybe it was stubbornness. surely, she wasn’t just tired.[break][break]
a smile followed his grateful expression. ”anzu, unfortunately, i can’t hope to prepare you for everything this region is capable of. i mean, where to even start… have you heard anything about the man-eating alien invasion? or the meteoroid, that's currently hurtling towards the region?”

[attr="class","ooc"]@anzai [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

”that’s debatable.”[break][break]
though sugarless, it was juxtaposed by a professional smile.[break][break]
” well i can’t do it for money, can i?” tax money, she figured. surely it wasn’t in the league’s budget, which raised the question as to whether or not this was just lance’s own idea.[break][break]
”unless you’re paying for it. otherwise, i’ll just take an I.O.U.”[break][break]
she sipped.[break][break]
”sounds fun."

[attr="class","ooc"]LANCE VOLLANS [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

”well, i highly recommend it. they're fabulous, and you really can’t go wrong with a mega evolution in a contest, right? i could design you a custom accessory…” she stood again, reaching for swatches off a shelf. ”just say the word.”[break][break]
one outfit for each round. she smiled. ”perfect. i love three.”[break][break]
the dagger of her finger ring flipped over pages of vibrant hues, stopping somewhere in a family of green to ponder.[break][break]
”so walk me through the whole thing. what’s the story we're trying to tell here?”

[attr="class","ooc"]@nikita [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

hand dropping from fixing a curl at the nape of his neck, the stylist’s hands then clasped in front of himself politely. ”surely not,”[break][break]
he smiled again, and then turned, boots clicking towards a back room. ”she’ll be right out—probably, i think.” [break][break]
and, as predicted, velda was prompt to meet her appointment. teeth stretched like pearls across her high-peaked face, she approached, a sweeping, open gesture presenting her realm.[break][break]
”pluto! stunning. welcome to glaus.”[break][break]
her silk-sleeved wave floated down to offer her hand to shake.[break][break]
”i’m velda. how are you?”

[attr="class","ooc"]Pluto Fürst [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

”i see.”[break][break]
lance vollans did demand designer, apparently.[break][break]
”bland...” the word echoed from her lips in a note that went nowhere obvious. her eyes finally left the furfrou and turned on him again, this time her shoulders squaring more attentively in the captain’s direction.[break][break]
”i must say, i appreciate your desire for the finer things, but i never imagined being commissioned by the league.”[break][break]
her espresso came up to her lips and she sipped, not continuing until she’d set it back down onto its petite saucer.[break][break]
”a part of me finds it exciting. the other part is inclined to tell you ‘no’, for the sake of my business.” velda wasn’t openly anti-league, but many of her clients were. not to mention, the other ways it could devalue her brand.

[attr="class","ooc"]LANCE VOLLANS [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

”oh, how fun. i absolutely adore designing costumes for pokémon contests. and audino? what a cutie!”[break][break]
she beamed down at its perfectly adorable pose, and ideas began to spring to life in her head. colors, shapes, textures, and more.[break][break]
”thank you for that, miss wells. my thoughts are… well, first off,” she leaned down, peering into the audino’s gaze, ”we must accentuate these beautiful eyes. just a touch of sapphire, somewhere. and i think too much white would steal the show, honestly. cream would be best. perhaps white pearls, or… little pom-poms…”[break][break]
she might’ve suggested lace, but nikita had an edge about her that didn’t scream lacey lady to velda. she designed custom garments.[break][break]
she raised again, turned, ”you don’t by chance have a mega stone for it, do you?”

[attr="class","ooc"]@nikita [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]