[[ Melody ]]
The trip to the kitchen had been uneventful, minus the few spare moments Melody took to exchange a sentence or two with Hon. Now, she was hovering over the cookery's counter top, busy fumbling with her apron strings. Various ingredients were arranged across the sterile surface, nearly begging to be used to make culinary masterpieces. Emmet, whose face Melody had not seen since the day of her escape, stood in a corner, looking rather out-of-place. Behind her, Andreas hummed a tune to himself in an off-key manner, trying his best to not slop cookie cough mix over the edge of his bowl.
Melody took a deep breath before bellowing out, "I shall now prepare the greens!" Emmet looked startled by her sudden outburst, but Andreas simply snorted and turned to face the Empoleon. "She thinks that if she announces the dish she is about to prepare, the food ends up tastier," he explained cheerily. He then faced the counter once again, accidentally sloshing a good amount of his batter all over the floor in the process.
The female Mudkip barely paid attention as Andreas uttered an "Oh dear", and instead focused her attention on the vegetables laid out on the cutting board. She stood poised with the knife in her hand in the air. In one swift move, she brought it down against the wooden surface, successfully cutting away the unwanted stems of the plant. Pleased with herself, she continued the motion, chopping up the greens into tiny slices. She then scooped up the pile of vegetables and distributed even amounts of the substance into the many miniature bowls lined up on the counter.
After several more rounds of dicing and then arranging, Melody had completed her first contribution to the Valentine's Ball. "They're little salads," she proclaimed proudly. "They shall be a sort of balancing act. If anyone gets tired of the sweets, they can help themselves to this instead! I'll do sushi next, and then make some meat-and-herb-stuffed crackers before moving on to the sugary stuff... Oh, but how can anything be delivered to the ballroom? I'll be busy cooking, Andreas, you'll be busy trying to cook, and I don't want you, Emmet, to do something you don't care to do..."
Splash! Andreas' elbow happened to bump against the bowl that contained the cookie icing, sending it hurtling for the floor. In his haste to catch it, he succeeded in knocking over the container holding the batter as well. He was able to save the icing from ruin, the metal bowl full of cookie mix hit the ground, the sticky, sweet substance pooling at the poor scientist's feet.
"Andreas!!!"
[[ End ]]
+ = + = +
[[ Luis ]]
The male Lucario strolled through the hallways. All was silent. In fact, the absence of life was almost eerie. Luis glanced about under the dimmed chandelier light and sighed internally. The ball has begun, it seems, he thought. His ears suddenly twitched as they picked up on a minute noise, almost like the sound of feet shuffling. He spun around, hoping that he was not alone in the corridor. However, it appeared his ears had deceived him, as there was nothing more than the presence of dust accompanying him through his wandering.
"This is so dismal," he said to no one in particular. "Perhaps a balcony could offer the serenity and fresh air I savor..." He paused, as if pondering over whether or not this was the best idea, but after a moment's consideration, he found nothing wrong with his plans. He started off again, his tail thumping up and down ever so slightly as he hummed a barely legible tune.
The brisk late-evening air refreshed his senses as he stepped out onto a balcony he had stumbled upon. It was fairly large, and was decorated with hardy outdoor plants. Ivy wove its way over the arches and columns. Sparse strings of lights cast a muted glow over everything, completing the soothing scene. Luis nearly cried out in delight. He walked over to the railing and stared out over the edge. The lawn below was bathed in moonlight, making even the plainest objects appear stunning. Above him, the moon showed her pale, rotund face, her beauty amplified by the thousands of stars surrounding her.
A light breeze swept over the treetops, causing them to sway gently. Ha ha, Luis thought, The trees are dancing. They look so lovely tonight. This is the type of ball I like... Nature's very own Valentine's dance. He heaved a sigh of content. The faint wind tickled his cheeks and rustled his clothes, as if gingerly teasing him.
"... I didn't know there were other gijinka not attending the ball," a voice stated, barely above a whisper.
Luis had been so caught up in the moment, he had been unable to sense the person approach him. He jumped a little, somewhat started. After recovering, he chuckled. "Believe me," he replied softly, "Even if I had been able to go, I most likely would have passed up the chance. This sort of scene has its own charm to it. Something about it can make it seem more tranquil than a ballroom." He looked over his shoulder. "I am Luis, by the way. Would you mind joining me?"
Continue?
Melody and Luis.
---
Once again, I made it open for anyone. I'm sorry for not allowing more time for further continuation with "Luis meeting someone who doesn't want to go to the dance" part; I thought it would be good to just start fresh, since the ball is now in session. :D;;
Augh, do you know how hard it is sometimes to write Luis's dialogue? Since he rarely uses contractions, I often find myself having to reword sentences and fix the contractions I might have accidentally typed, lol. XD
