raindnce

[raindnce]

steven eventually rubbed off on wallace and now he went from prep to pastel goth. send tweet

[raindnce]

ok i have decided on a better flavor. grave cleric for wallace instead… willing to throw down Everything to protect the balance of nature and the world, also understanding the sanctity of death and its importance to life, cannot have one without the other

[raindnce]

eyes flit back and forth across message boxes, the ones that he could see from this vantage, until, very pointedly, does steven's sightline find its way to him.

spoken and unspoken words prompt a huff and a small smile, an invitation laid out to which he eagerly takes up. heel of steven's palm is to be met with wallace's jaw, a further bend of his back leads for levelness of his head rest.

fingertips on his cheek ... and knowing his chosen, this was both his own sign of affection and a way of his own rule. wallace turns his cheek slightly to purse a gentle kiss to his finger, eyebrows raising and eyelids sliding halfway down in mild exasperation.

" you, incorrect? " and relaxation into a more sincere smile, " darling, from what i've seen right there, you were quite on the mark. and i think that last few in particular ... is something that he needs reminding of, every once in a while. "

when hand drops, he stands ( after humming a note of greeting to lucario ) and walks around to properly drop to a kneel in front of his beloved. propping elbows on steven's bent leg / couch arm, he holds his own head up with his hand.

" you know silver. he gets hit with something he needs to think about, and he goes silent for indiscriminate amounts of time to do said thinking. he's just like you, hm? give it some time. "

( has he processed what the actual content of the conversation had been about? not at all. wallace was just particularly impressed. )

as if in answer to his fervent wishes, steven hears the quiet of tread upon his floor not minutes later mid-typing, and finds himself relaxing as wallace's weight creates sounds within the plush of his chair where elbow & palm dug in for sake of allowing the gym leader to better see the device steven paid such attention to.

it's with the turn of his head that he finally sees the man, eyes shifting upward as he finishes sending his own slew of messages.

"what he said sounded as though it fit the criteria you have previously explained perfectly," the pokénav is left open, balancing upon his knee while the hand he'd used to provide affection for lucario now returns to his lap, and the opposite lifts enough that his hand provides support for the underside of wallace's jaw.

-- both sides of the bone are felt upon the heel of his palm & proximal digital crease alike, whilst fingers bent upward / let tips rest against wallace's cheek.

greeting. endearment.

the position's held for a heartbeat before the hand drops, and fingers fold amongst their match against his thigh, awaiting response within from the younger man.

"do you think my assessment incorrect? perhaps that is to account for his silence..."

[raindnce]

he thought he noticed an interesting look about steven's stature ... the rapid manner in which he types out his responses are interesting enough to warrant his nosiness.

leans over his shoulder ... takes in several of the messages at once ...

surprising indeed.

steven, comforting? providing adequate and reasonable advice?

" emo, huh? "

[raindnce]

shiny milotic🫧✨

[raindnce]

“source?” divine intuition, gut instinct, and cryptic symbolism from my dreams

[raindnce]

" that was precisely my reaction! i could hardly believe my ears when another coordinator recalled the scene to me, i'm sure you could imagine the way how i had to fight to keep down a laugh. " the scoff that passes and raises one end of his mouth into a smile is anything but genuinely annoyed, no - such a scene had been nothing short of hilarious both in the moment and now in hindsight. the purest form of entertainment, all wrapped up in the creatures they share the world with.

" i mean, salt water? in coffee? cynthia, he did it on purpose, i'm telling you. " smile quickly grows into something erring on the side of a grin, a barely-held back laugh that was very much so evident in his voice. " thank rayquaza that friendly coordinator told me about his water gun first, else i would have looked like a bumbling fool in front of a competitor. you should have heard her accusation towards me! "

ah, a lovely thing how much a trainer's pokemon are influenced by their own decisions and feelings - william deciding to 'spike' another coordinator's coffee with his own misflavored water had been entirely a thing that wallace himself would have done / ordered.

and has done. ( steven would know a thing or two about that. those were the days. )

of course, back in the days when he wasn't as responsible and sportsmanlike.

and in the truest form of reality, this had certainly been one of the main things that wallace had been looking forward to the most with the trip back into the sinnoh region ; cynthia had a way about her that he was able to connect with more than the champions of other regions. two of the longest reigning powerhouses finding commonplace and eventually sowing a years-long acquaintanceship into friendship ... he was very much so excited and grateful for her company, and the high spirits that followed.

like no time had ever passed, like distance had simply just been the press of a pause button.

here, they could both shed the weights of the public personas they had to uphold and here, within a private and homier space, true unwinding / comedy could occur. wallace takes a sip from his glass, an exquisite champagne, as the conversation shifts for her to speak. both eyebrows raise, however, a glint appearing in turquoise eyes that could be properly described as thrilled.

" you could tell them you'd be diving with one of the best in hoenn. i would certainly love to show you the mysteries our seas hide - those caverns and the sealife really are quite breathtaking, dear. it'd be fun! "

@avacynthia. con't.

[raindnce]

These sentence starters are meant for all interested in the @starlitsnowfallgala. Feel free to use them as ask prompts or open starters.

"Whoa, the ceiling now looks like a starry night sky!"

"Do you think they're using a projector to create the starry night effect?"

“Ok, I think I’m getting cold feet…”

"Oh, cute! Look at those pokémon dancing!"

"I had no idea you could dance!"

“If I asked __ to dance, do you think they’d say yes?”

“I warn you, I’m a terrible dancer.”

"I don't need to dance, I'm content just listening to the music."

"No matter what you say, you won't change my mind."

"Ow, I think I twisted my ankle..."

"Are you okay? That looks like it hurt."

"Don't get used to it, I'm only dancing now because it's a special occasion."

“This is a gala! What do you mean, you don’t dance??”

“Is it too late to admit that I have no idea what I’m doing?”

"Just think, we're dancing atop a stage where pokémon contests take place! Isn't that cool?"

"Let's all go dance together!"

“I could dance with you all night.”

“Ouch… that was my foot.”

“Care to dance?”

“Look, I’ll show you how to dance. Just follow my lead.”

“Can I cut in?”

"Can you teach me how to dance? Even the most basic steps would be fine. I just don't want to be a wallflower all night."

“I wanna ask __ to dance so badly but I don’t know how.”

“They keep looking this way. Do you think they wanna dance with you?”

“Oh, I love this song.”

“I really hate dancing, so don’t even think about asking!”

“I, umm… I didn’t expect for us to end up this close.”

“Do you think they’ll take song requests?”

“May I have this dance?”

“Shit, was that your foot? I'm so sorry!”

“Your face is flushed. Do you wanna go outside for some fresh air?”

"Do you think it's too cold to step outside for a bit? I really need some fresh air."

“Wow, you’re really good at this.”

“You look a little dizzy. Maybe we should take a break.”

“Yes, I’m being a wallflower. No, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Hey, this is totally my jam!”

“You’re so good, you even make ME look like I know what I’m doing!”

“Nah, bro, I’m not dancing… I’m literally just vibing in my corner over here.”

“You just need to loosen up a little. Who cares what others think?”

“You dance beautifully.”

“I knew you could dance, but damn…”

[raindnce]

he awaits her response - and what follows is exactly what he'd predicted, a half-smile somewhat terse in nature pulls the right side of his face taut. taking his attention off of the teal-orange sun soaked waves, he's finally met with the beauty he'd just spoken of. wallace saw it, clear as day, whether his sight had been gifted special or not. a soul so completely devoted, a burning illumination that has been, and will continue to be, a beacon for all those closest to her.

he does not interject, no matter how much he felt the gut reaction to do so with her doubtful words - especially when they were in regard to herself and her capabilities. but, he trusts that takehiko would wade through those waters and come out on the other side more than alright. not just in one piece, but a shining light, a leader.

besides ... this called for celebration, not pensive hesitancy.

she defeated him, rightfully so. she had claimed his badge and taken that step into becoming a lorekeeper that her people could take pride in, and would follow out of respect for her proven skill and leadership.

william shifts in the water, earning a glance at shining / somewhat reflective scales before leader parses that he also did not agree with their friend's self-sentiment. the milotic gives a noise of his own in response to being dropped in the ocean, a sidelong glance twinged with a bit of mirth in his eyes.

a challenge, almost. i will. we both will, tender pokemon almost willed to say into her mind.

wallace's smile relaxes into something more content, humming a tenuto note of approval.

" stars are indeed beautiful. tell me, do you think of yourself like that of a star, a cosmic force of nature? something to be chased after, or perhaps marveled at from afar? "

@valkyrrhic. con't.

[raindnce]

Mr. Sootopolis himself

[raindnce]

ok so origin's got a blood pact going on, nothing to see here

[raindnce]

TWO WALLACES I CRAFTED WITH MY OWN HAND

[raindnce]

Leila Chatti, from "Postcard from Gone"

[raindnce]

listen i'm sorry but my wallace is not wearing that oras outfit 24/7.. that's a gym battle girlie. if he's just out and about, it's usually a styled outfit or his main outfit from rse. if he's in a contest, he's wearing his contest outfit(s) (god he has so many.).

[raindnce]

truth be told, wallace had sent the message and promptly let it exit his mind, just as pocketed device gave way for distractions of the outside world once again. if it wasn't his gym trainers, it was the pokemon - and if it wasn't the pokemon, it was some other matter that needed tending to. he'd been getting ready for another round of contests lately, spreading the word about his gym of the incoming close whilst maintaining the promotions of his travels overseas.

needless to say, trying to find some sort of respite in between the preparations was hard to come by.

as one of his coordinators-in-training came up to him, wallace immediately gave a nod and a small wave. " i already know, love. snap a picture of vaporeon in this outfit, " reaches for the hanger rack that lined one of the walls in the room, pointing to a rather frilly light seaform dress, " and then add it to the main page. " she immediately gives a little curtsy and walks off after retrieving the hanger, examining the outfit he'd chosen with a bright gasp.

wallace's lips twitch into a fond smile, and he wonders briefly if lisia is well.

the vibrations against the topmost part of his thigh is enough to garner attention once more.

[ sms ] You absolutely do not, darling. [ sms ] Have I told you the benefits to attending these events? They really are quite extensive.

his smile from before, that which had faded to relaxation, reappaears in a smaller manner as it just barely reaches up to crease his eyes. he's well aware of efforts likely being ignored, and it wasn't much of a bother ; this almost feels similar to the times he's ended up dragging steven out of region to a contest run ( or multiple ).

[ sms ] I'll be attending this year, which is precisely what prompted me to inquire. [ sms ] I really do implore you to go! Atleast I will be a familiar face in a boring crowd.

it's still highly, highly unlikely that grusha will accept him, but wallace was not one to simply give up. and on the other hand, there was goal that had been set that had remained for nearly seven years now.

maybe he had been a mentor to one too many people, and that was an amusing thought. it seemed to pervade every other part of his life.

he wonders for a slightly longer time if takehiko is well.

[ sms ] What if I supplied the outfits?

wallace pauses. taps a single finger on the surface of his nav.

[ sms ] And took care of the media?

@gruusha. con't.

[raindnce]

headache liveblog: ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow.... ow.