In due time, that party did come.“Young Master.” Sawyer spoke, standing behind Lear as the two alongside Rachel stood in a balcony above the ballroom. “It looks like your party is going well.”
Lear smirked. “It has! For once having a party where battling was banned was an idea that paid off.” He crossed his arms. “We can only take so much of Nemona’s incessant begging anyhow…”
The party was themed not around battles or teams like almost every other event in Pasio was, but this time it was something smaller. More personal. Whoever wanted to show up could, as long as they were there to appreciate someone else. This was an Appreciation Party, as Lear put it. You should come with someone, or someones, whom you appreciated being in your life. If you didn’t have anyone to come with, you were invited by said person who would meet you there.
“Oooh, is that Jasmine? She seems to be wandering around all alooooone.” Rachel commented from the height of the balcony, staring down at the brunette.
Indeed, Jasmine was wandering. This event was somewhat formal, so everyone was dressed up a tad. Jasmine wore a light-colored dress; an off-white gray that went down to her ankles. Her collar was modest and close to her neck, frilled outward with some sky-blue tinges that also lined the wrists of her sleeves. She wore no hat; instead opting for her usual haircut of a high forehead, but now with her hair fixed to flow a bit longer and downwards too. A purse was slung around her shoulder, and as she stepped, her orange high heels would click on the tile floor.
“Where is she… where is she?” Jasmine spoke to herself, inhaling calmly as a breathing exercise to keep herself together. She strutted down, aimlessly, not knowing where to go but trying her best to look like she did. She saw others around her. Steven and Wallace. Skyla and Elesa. Nessa and Holly. Bugsy and Whitney. Maylene an-
Hey. Bugsy and Whitney. Her friends.
“I should go talk to them. Maybe they know where Erika is.”
Jasmine began to strut over to the two lovers, who were sitting at a nearby minuscule table, that would really only be used for tea. The two were drinking cups of warmed Moo Moo Milk. Whitney was in her own dress; a red cocktail dress that exposed her neck, shoulders, and just dipped a tiny bit lower, but covered most everything else. Bugsy was in a dark green tuxedo; sequined, it seemed.
“Bugsy! Whitney! So good to see you two.”
“Ahhh! Jazzy! Hi hi! Pull up a chair.” Whitney chimed happily.
“Jasmine! It’s great to see you.” Bugsy squirmed in his seat; just moments ago he was leaning forward on the table to get a better look into Whitney’s eyes.
Jasmine did as she was told and took a seat. A certain color caught her attention. “Is…is that lipstick on you, Whitney?”
Whitney grinned, flashing her teeth. It was. And the whiteness of her teeth stood out against her ruby red lips. Jasmine went wide-eyed; she wasn’t used to her friend getting this level of make-up on.
“Yup! Honestly I wanted to wear a more complicated dress, somethin’ more dazzling, but I felt like I was almost showing off too much if I did!”
Bugsy took Whitney’s hand to grab her attention. Jasmine couldn’t help but notice that he was wearing white gloves to accentuate the look.
“You look incredibly pretty in anything you dress in, honeycomb.” He spoke smoothly, eyes gazing at her as Whitney looked back. She couldn’t help but lightly squeal and place a firm smooch twice; once on his cheek, and another on his lips. His skin in both spots were stained, and Jasmine couldn’t help but giggle seeing the residue.
“You both look fantastic.” Jasmine commented.
“Oh you’re lookin’ great too Jazzy! Maybe though I would’ve dressed with a teensy less modest of a collar and-”
“Whitney!! Hey!! Sorry we can’t all be as,” Jasmine made a hand motion fluffing up the space in front of her chest, “you know, as you!”
The two girls just giggled at their japes, with Bugsy smiling alongside Whitney.
“Anyhow. I can’t stay for too long. Maybe later tonight I can, but for now I need to um, find Erika. Do you two know where she is?” Jasmine sat up, legs put together as she held her purse. Both of them already were well aware of Jasmine’s pining for the Kantonian Grass expert.
“Um, I think I actually saw her by the big ice Lear sculpture.” Bugsy politely gestured towards it; it was behind Whitney and about a couple dozen feet down. His mother always told him it wasn’t nice to point.
“Thank you both. You two have fun. I’ll see you both soon. Bugsy, you should probably use a napkin.” Jasmine spoke with resolve as she nodded and stood up. She began to walk towards the sculpture, with Whitney and Bugsy waving her off before getting lost with one another again.
“Ask her out. Ask her out. Ask her out.” Jasmine repeated that phrase to herself as she saw Erika sitting on a chair near the ice sculpture. There was an open chair near her. She was dressed in an outfit not too dissimilar from her Christmas outfit. Instead of it being red, it was a much more calming beige and orange, similar to her kimono. She had light make-up on; no lipstick, but definitely foundation. As Jasmine saw her, she felt her heart flutter and her nostrils flare up. This was the moment. And before she knew it, she found herself next to Erika, standing while Erika was sitting.
“Erika? Hello! It’s very nice to meet you.”
Erika turned her head quickly to face her, looking up, and smiled.
“Jasmine! Pleasured to see you. Come, take a seat.”
Once again, the brunette would take a seat, smiling warmly as her eyes were closed. As she opened them, she looked at Erika staring back at her. She too, was smiling. It was an earnest smile, the same one she made when flower arranging. It made her heart thump in her chest.
“Your dress looks great, Jasmine. You always did pull of a more reserved look well.”
A compliment. That has to be good, right?! You tell people you like compliments, right!? Jasmine’s brain was scrambling.
“Oh thank you! It took me a while but I sort of have, um, come to learn what w-works for me and what doesn’t.”
Crap. Did she just beef it?!
Erika giggled, hand up against her lips and all. “That’s the fun part about fashion, isn’t it? That some of it comes to us through outside forces like the media, and some of it comes from within. I’m sorry, if there was some tea I’d pour you a glass.”
Jasmine nodded. She didn’t seem to beef it. But Erika had such a gorgeous look to her right now. With her jet black hair, her alabaster skin, her intelligence…
“Y-yeah. I wish Lear would have more than water at these parties…”
“Mm. I remember one Halloween party, Iris played a prank and spiked the punch with literal spice. Poor Falkner had a terrible coughing fit.”
Jasmine couldn’t help but giggle. “Yeah, maybe that’s why! It was a mean prank, but I can’t think of very many ‘nice’ pranks, huh?”
The two began to laugh. Jasmine felt her guard lower a bit. The two continued to take trips down memory lane together, whether it be on Pasio, or Kanto, or Johto, or maybe even somewhere else. And it was natural. Words flowed as comfortably as the breeze in Celadon City. As the conversation continued, Jasmine slowly began to realize something.
“...I can do it. I really can ask her out.”
She took in another deep inhale.
“And then when Sabrina and I…hm? Jasmine, is everything okay?” Erika asked, taken off guard by Jasmine’s sudden silence.
Jasmine shut her eyes hard, before blinking them open.
“Hey. Erika. Um. We’ve talked a lot before, you know. And I was just wondering. We’re pretty good friends…” Jasmine began to scratch at her temple, shrinking just a bit to protect herself in case this blows up in her face. Erika looked and listened intently.
“If…”
Jasmine’s heart began to pound, she could feel her blood rushing in her ears. Her skin grows a carnation pink. She stammered, if only for a second.
“If we could be more than that.” She corrected her posture and sat straight up, and looked right into Erika’s face.
“I love you, Erika.”
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