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Grimsley’s usually good at accepting the cards he’s dealt, but to be honest, he’d risk it all just to get out of this place.
The Unova Elite Four member’s never been a big fan of fancy masquerade parties in the first place, but he found the one he was presently attending downright unbearable. A while ago, Lear figured that to get the Trainers of Pasio better acquainted with one another, he’d hold a masquerade ball and invite everyone currently staying on the island. Within minutes of the announcement, everyone started chattering and gushing about it for days, even weeks before the party started.
What’re you gonna wear to the fancy ball next week?
I’m not really sure, to be honest! I’ll have to go dress shopping soon!
Do you think I should wear a mask modeled after my partner Pokémon?
A masquerade! Ooh, how mysterious!
Imagine, slow dancing with a good-looking stranger under the stars! Doesn’t that just sound so romantic?
It’ll be like a dream come true!
For Grimsley, it was shaping up to be more like a nightmare. Between his headache from the bright lights bouncing off the lavish gold decor and directly into his eyes, the joyous classical music piping through the speakers and flooding his eardrums, and the fact that it seems like everyone here brought a friend or dancing partner except him, he oh so desperately needed something to take the edge off. Ideally, he’d slink into the shadows and order a drink of good ol’ liquid courage to ease his nerves, but this party happened to be completely alcohol-free on account of the high percentage of kids attending.
To Grimsley’s left, he could see a duo of Kalosian teenagers, a boy and a girl clad in eye masks resembling two respectively feline and vulpine Psychic-type Pokémon, gossiping and giggling about something Grimsley couldn’t parse out. To his right are two more familiar faces: Elesa and Skyla, two Gym Leaders from his home region, mamboing like nobody’s business. Their elegant evening dresses – Elesa’s a silky black getup with electric jagged white accents, Skyla’s a white ball gown with baby blue wing-like ruffles – are juxtaposed with their goofy smiles and infectious laughter as they lose themselves and find each other to the music.
Taking note of everyone’s elaborate costumes, Grimsley begins to feel self-conscious about his own attire: a sharp suit not unlike the many in his closet, but deep purple with mustard-yellow accents. Like his oddly coloured tux, the mask he’s wearing also resembles his Liepard: painted purple and yellow except for a couple of bold magenta eye markings, with two little pointy ears on the top. He doesn’t have a mirror right now, but Grimsley figures that he probably looks goofy as hell, like a stereotypical cat burglar who has eschewed stealth in the name of uniqueness.
Despite the fact that he feels like he’s sticking out like a fashion failure sore thumb amidst the sea of dapperly dressed Sync Pairs, Grimsley tries to keep a low profile. He leans against a wall, pulling his trademark coin out of his pocket to prepare for a long night of making bets against himself.
“What’s a handsome devil like you doing all alone?”
A woman’s husky voice interrupts Grimsley’s train of thought as he looks up from his hand to see a pair of Trainers grinning at him, both wearing suits. One has curly tresses of blue hair and a snappy black tuxedo with ring-shaped cufflinks, while the other has shoulder-length violet locks and sports a green and white suit accented with an eye-shaped brooch. As expected of a couple of masquerade ball-goers, each wears a mask, although the purple-haired one seems more used to it than the blue-haired one. If Grimsley can recall correctly, they’re two Elite Four members from a far-off region.
“Will and Karen? I’m…surprised to see you here.” Grimsley smirks coolly, trying not to let Karen’s initial flirtatious comment crack his slick exterior.
“You really shouldn’t be, Grimsley. Masquerade balls are just my thing, after all!” Will raises a finger near his face, accentuating the curiously avian mask that’s replaced his usual one.
“I happen to find them quite elegant as well.” Karen tucks a strand of long hair behind her ear and adjusts her black-and-gold domino mask, one with ears on the top not dissimilar to Grimsley’s.
“So,” Karen purrs as her smoldering gaze meets Grimsley’s, “I see you don’t have a dancing partner.”
Grimsley sighs dejectedly. “It really doesn’t matter to me. See, I didn’t want to come here in the first place, so I’ve just been trying to entertain myself until the party ends.”
“How about two dancing partners?” Will reaches a hand out to Grimsley and makes a beckoning motion, a coy grin present on his freckled face. “If you’d like, we can entertain you.”
Grimsley has a choice to make. Does he take a chance and dance with these two prestigious Johtonian Trainers, or does he play it safe and turn them down? He’s always been a risk taker, it’s crucial for a professional gambler such as him. Just as he’s about to flip his coin to make his decision, Karen intercepts again.
“You wouldn’t want to miss out on a thrilling opportunity like this, would you?” Karen gives her long eyelashes a few sultry bats and Grimsley can feel his heart rate go up. Despite being a fellow Elite Four, Grimsley’s beginning to feel like he’s way in over his head, trying not to drown in golden luxury and…something. Something else he didn’t quite have the name for yet, something about the way those two look at him that makes him feel like everything is spinning, that there’s no one else in the world except the three of them. Something that makes his face flush and his chest flutter.
“I…I don’t dance. I mean, I would dance, but I can’t dance.” Man, oh man, what the fuck was that? Even though he’s as graceful on the dance floor as a confused Spinda, and he’d rather play Russian roulette over a tank full of hungry Carvanha than attempt to “bust a move”, as the youth say these days, Grimsley feels like he just threw away the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the course of this night and cavort with two very beautiful people.
Will laughs. “That doesn’t matter to us! Who cares if you can dance or not?”
“If you’d like, we can show you.” Karen turns her teasing periwinkle gaze to her dancing partner. “How about we show Grimsley how it’s done, Will?”
Will responds with a theatrical flourish of his hand. “Of course, dear.”
The two take to the dance floor to trip the light fantastic, and Arceus , how they trip. Grimsley finds himself mesmerized by the way the couple moves: one, two, step, one, two, step. They glide across the dancefloor with unmatched elegance, their forms perfectly complementing one another. It’s like watching an eclipse, the sun and the moon performing an intricate waltz in the heavens, except Grimsley’s eyes aren’t burning. For a moment, he feels a pang of jealousy, but he’s not sure who or what he’s jealous of. Maybe it’s not jealousy, maybe it’s something different. Love, maybe? Grimsley’s fallen multiple times in his life: out of favor with people, out of luck, in debt. He’s even fallen in lust a couple of times, but he’s never fallen in love before.
Maybe it feels a little something like this.
With a dip and a twirl, Will and Karen’s dance ends smoothly. Following that, they both walk to Grimsley, hot anticipation painting their partially-masked faces. “So, would you care to join us? If you’d like, I will be your first partner.” Karen brushes her hand across Grimsley’s bony jawline as he struggles to keep himself from blushing furiously. With how flustered he is, he’s surprised he can even stammer out the next word.
“Absolutely.”
Karen’s body is warm, Grimsley notes, the way her body heat presses up against his and the way her hands wrap around his waist, gilded fingernails clutching his sides. She leads the dance to start, guiding Grimsley through a series of steps and back-steps and turns until he gets the hang of it. Karen runs her hands down Grimsley’s sides, causing a shiver to run down his spine. With a passionate spin, she lowers Grimsley into a dip and her Cheri-red lips almost brush against his. Karen smells like heady perfume, mint gum and something else uniquely Karen. Blood, probably. It’s intoxicating, far more than any number of hundred-Pokédollar margaritas at a sleazy bar in Black City. Despite the lack of windows in the building, Grimsley swears he can catch the cool light of the moon reflecting off her face.
Grimsley’s already out of breath from dancing with Karen, but hungry for more. Will stretches his hand out to meet Grimsley’s expectantly, giving his lips a provocative lick.
“If you still feel like you haven't had enough, I’d be pleased to dance with you.”
“Bold of you to think I’d had enough.”
Will is far less fiery in his movements, but just as passionate as Karen. He holds Grimsley tightly, like it’s the end of the world and he’s all he has left. Each move of Will’s is precise and planned out, each step something foreseen. His feet seem like they’re not even touching the ground. Grimsley, unable to keep up with Will’s calculated poise, almost trips over his own shoes, but before he can hit the floor he feels a sudden tingling sensation all over his body. As Grimsley notices a light magenta aura surrounding him, he realizes he’s being levitated by his dance partner’s psionic abilities. Will squeezes his hand reassuringly and brings Grimsley back upright, a cascade of fresh linen and something vaguely floral hitting Grimsley’s nostrils as Will pulls him in close . The world turns pleasantly blurry as Grimsley is guided around the floor, a hazy halo of light enveloping his head like early morning sunrise.
The dances end like the sun setting in the evening and the moon setting at daybreak, gently as they can go. Spellbound by the seductive cavalcade of light and movement, Grimsley lets his past inhibitions flutter to the ground like a loose pack of cards as he lets himself just…be. Just be, with these unexpected luminaries, light cutting through the shadow of his psyche. His pale, bony fingers interlock with Will’s, then Karen’s, their combined body heats perfectly balancing the cold of Grimsley’s hands.
It’s definitely something like this.
“Man, oh man,” Grimsley breathlessly remarks. “That was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before…”
“So, did you find that adequately thrilling?” Will rests his head on Grimsley’s shoulder, a teasing tone to his honey-soaked voice.
“Yes…tonight was far better that I expected it to be.”
“Y’know, we’ve taken quite a shine to you. How about you come back to our place so we can continue the thrills later?” Karen winks as she wraps a hand around Grimsley’s wrist and purrs into his ear. “You don’t have to keep the suit on, you know.”
Grimsley flips his coin again, but he doesn’t care about the outcome. Bets and wagers be damned, he’d gladly risk it all for the wild-hearted woman with moonlight in her eyes and the masked man with a smile like a sunbeam. Besides, Grimsley’s feeling lucky tonight.
“Sounds good to me.”