[ORP] Not-So-Silent Night [Rockets]

[TRHQ Agent]

[This is the holiday ORP sponsored by Team Rocket and taking place in one of the base's training rooms. Trainers cannot attend but may go to the League's party here. No one character can attend both parties.]

While the majority of the base looked as metallic and unfestive as any other time of the year, the closer one got to the specified training room, the more obvious it became that something seasonal was going on. A few fresh green wreaths wrapped in ribbons of white and gold were placed in strategic spots in the hallway, with the doorway itself wrapped in garland and softly glowing white lights. Another white-and-gold ribbon-wrapped wreath hung on the door that was propped wide open.

In all four corners and along some of the walls sat large trees, obviously carried in by large pokemon and decorated with shiny red and gold ornaments, and a healthy sprinkling of silver tinsel. Garland wrapped in soft white lights hung along the beams along the high ceiling, the bright lights of the room had been softened, and every effort had been made to make the training room appear to be one of the fanciest ballrooms in Kodo. With quite a number of attendees already enjoying themselves, dressed in smart tuxedos and lavish gowns, it appeared they had succeeded. There were three large, white-clothed tables set on each side of the large room, with the middle one serving as a surprisingly well-stocked mini bar, and the two flanking it on either side holding an even more surprising array of hors d'oeuvres. It seemed the kitchens could produce high quality food when they felt like it, and tonight they certainly felt well up to the task. Soft music filtered over the dance floor in the middle of the room, provided by a small group of talented musicians among the ranks of their fellows.  

[TawnyAngel]

Parties were never a comfortable experience, but at least this one was on base where discovery and subsequent imprisonment were not possibilities. Tonight Frost was wearing a tuxedo, and looking as comfortable in it as he did in his every day clothes. This was probably because his every day clothes, other than his uniform, were suits of one kind or another in any case.

Xander didn't seem to be here yet and so the blond approached the food and drink on the off chance that tea was a possibility. It appeared that it was not. Frost pursed his lips a little and selected instead a sealed bottle of water, which had been keeping nicely chilled in a large box of ice. The hors d'oeuvres looked aesthetic enough but many of them also looked as though a good deal of manual manipulation had been necessary to create them and were therefore off the menu. Perhaps he would have some of the simpler ones though, before there were a lot of people around to paw over them. After some thought he took a plate and placed a few vol-au-vents and other assorted nibbles onto it.

He then encountered the classic dilemma of humanity at a party.

One hand held a bottle of water.

The other hand now held a plate.

He could neither eat nor drink, as the cap was still on his water.

Frost pursed his lips in disapproval.  

[BlackPidgeot]

One of the talented musicians was a red haired agent that wasn't exactly thrilled by the prospect. He had been asked be a very enthusiastic and bothersome colleague, and had turned her down flat. Some harassment later, he had relented with the promise that she would shut the hell up.

So now here he was, in dressy but casual attire, and playing his violin along with the other musicians that had been duped into this. His now shoulder length red hair tied back to stay out of his way as he played the stringed instrument. When needed, he would switch to and play the piano instead.

As one might imagine, his facial expressions were not exactly merry, but instead ranged from a tolerant neutral to clear irritation whenever someone was blatantly out of tune or hit a wrong note.

When taking a break, he would be found sulking off to the side with a glass of punch or an hors d'oeuvre.

Life is so hard for Asch.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Jerome was sure that he looked as out of place in a tuxedo as he felt.
He couldn't remember a time he had ever had to wear an outfit like this, and now that he was in one, he was starting to realize why.
The fabric was much more stiff, moving around in this, wasn't going to be nearly as freely ranged as he was used too.

Despite his misgivings, something, either it being his best friend and first pokemon Bro' (probably only wanting him to go for the kicks of it.) pushing him or becasue he knew some of his friends might be there.
Maybe he just didn't want to spend the day alone in his room again. But for whatever reason, the ex-gangster had smartened up (as much as he could), with his dreadlocks mostly tied behind his hair to keep them out of the way. and was now standing in hesitance by the entrance of the room, trying to stand as tall as he could, since the outfit strained uncomfortably when he slouched.

Bro', the half glowing Gengar appeared tot he side of Jerome, wearing a wide grin on his face, and staring around at all the fancy Rockets. he seemed much more confident then Jerome did as he floated in front of his trainer, looked him over for a couple of seconds with a critical look.

"What..." Jerome asked, then titled his neck up a little as Bro reached out for the man's tie, and began adjusting it, as if fixing it.
Only... when the Ghost pokemon pulled back, the tie was even more off center and loose then it had been before.
Bro's grin faltered slightly, but he just gave Jerome the thumbs up. just snickering when Jerome gave him a look that showed he didn't believe the ghost. <********' thing. What did y' do?" He mumbled trying to see what Bro had done.
"Y'know how long that took man?"

Bro' waved a hand carelessly.  

[LexThetaSigma]

After spending the morning and most of the afternoon working, a party was the last place the Rocket wanted to be. After checking on the progress of the growing pokemon, he headed up to his room to grab his supplies to take a shower. Since the party was actually on the base, it wouldn't be too bad to show up for a little while. Once he was clean, he headed back to the room and pulled out the new suit he had commissioned off of one of the other Rockets.

Before he started to get dressed, Rory applied a small amount of the new cologne he had picked up one of the last times he went into the city. He ignored the slight flutter in his chest and acted as if he was getting properly made up for the fun of it. As he got dressed in the tailored, black suit, Thor rooted around in the closet and came out with three different ties wrapped around his body.

Rory laughed and unwrapped the poor mouse and debated over which one would go best with his suit. He held up a black one first and heard a growl come from under the other bed. He caught Thor shaking his head no and tossed the black tie to the side. He held up the next one, another black tie this time with red embroidery along it, and heard a louder growl. He sighed and tossed that one to the side as well before holding up a silk, dark blue tie.

This time he got an excited chirp out of Thor and a bark from under the bed. "Fine, I'll go with that one," he said and quickly tied the fabric around his neck, making sure to adjust it properly.

He smoothed the tie down his chest before pulling on the black suit jacket and buttoning the two buttons to hold it closed. He took a look at himself in the mirror and ruffled his hair slightly before nodding. "Good to go?"

Thor nodded his response and claimed his spot on Rory's shoulder as the man headed out of the room.

As the grunt set foot in the training room, he couldn't help but be in awe of the transformation of the room; the place looked amazing!

After taking in the decorations and looking around to see who all was there so far, Rory headed towards the table where all the food and drinks had been set up to get himself a glass of punch.  

[Blood_Goddess]

(Frost)

"You look like you could use an extra hand" A voice drifted from somewhere behind Frost, a second later, the fine clicking of heels draws to a step, and a red gloved hand is extended in an offer of assistance.
"Allow me."

A pare of large crimson eyes stared up at Frost, the yellow ringed pokemon standing obediently next to his master's white and silver formal dress. in engineer balanced expertly on a pare of matching close toed heels, her hair pinned up elegantly with think silver and red chains draped in loops along the strands on hair.

She looked alone today, having only just recently arrived at the party, the first thing she spotted as she made her way across the room, was her fellow Agent, Frost, looking like he had his hands a bit too full standing there.  

[TawnyAngel]

(Faleen)

"I am certain I don't know how anyone copes with these affairs," Frost said, passing over the plate so that he could open the bottle of water. 'Hello' did not occur to him and thanking her didn't either right away. It did manage to drift to mind as he slipped the cap away into a pocket though - etiquette must always be remembered - and he gave the silver-clad woman a small nod. "Your assistance is appreciated. Your dress is also very nice; it flatters your figure. Is silver a usual colour for a dress? It is certainly apt... fitting to your profession that is." He liked Faleen; she was a very intelligent woman, and relativly easy to talk to. Also very importantly she was a civilized sort, not like some of the louts around here that he was forced to endure rather than eviscerate.  

[BlackPidgeot]

(Everyone)

Despite the fact that Asch hadn't really wanted to play in front of everyone, he had determined not to half a** it. And as he sat there boredly, he downed the rest of his drink in one gulp as the rest of the group finished a dull version of Silver Bells. He was tired of being bored. He wanted something a little more fun and exciting dammit.

Thus as he went back to the group, he picked up his violin and bow, shooing everyone away, except the keyboardist, to go take a break themselves. He then tapped his bow on the guy's sheet stand.

"Number 22," he told him plainly while the other agent blinked and flipped through the pages with a nod of understanding. Asch meanwhile went to his own stand and turned his book to the same piece. Once they were both ready, the keyboardist started to play a tun most would recognize.

The red head patiently waited until it was his part to come in. He then placed the bow on the strings of his violin and began to play one of the songs he had been practicing diligently ever since he'd agreed to perform at this party. He'd had to cut out Pokemon training during his spare hours in order to get ready for this.  

[Wylde Roses]

(Everyone)

Parties - holiday or otherwise, Kratos wasn't particularly fond of them. In fact, holiday parties grated upon his sensibilities far more than any other sort. It probably had something to do with the mistletoe he inevitably found himself under at the worst possible moment. Miette, however, was excited enough by the prospect that she simply would not sit still until her trainer agreed to take her.

So it was that the red-haired man, dressed in formal white tuxedo (though his hair was as disorderly as ever), found himself entering the party with some reluctance. Perched on his shoulder was one extremely self-satisfied pink pikachu, who had insisted upon wearing white ribbons tied around her ears to match her trainer. Never able to say no to Miette, Kratos had caved to her wishes nearly immediately. Unfortunately for Miette, Kratos had little reason to be particularly sociable, so he simply investigated the mini bar and fetched a drink before heading to a quiet corner where he could observe the party without actively being a part of it.

Miette voiced her disapproval with this choice of action by hitting him in the back of the head, but Kratos ignored her in favor of watching everything and sipping at his drink. She could persuade him into going, but no mere pokémon, no matter how special, could persuade him into being a social butterfly.  

[Gwennythe]

Blue was a nice safe sort of colour and had served well in the past, so, once again, Tambrey found herself in a blue dress, long and 'formal enough' she'd labelled it, on top of black (admittedly not very high at all) heels. Around her neck was a necklace of black stones. Her hair fell loose, deliberately slightly curled, a stray lock brushed from where it fell in front of her glasses.
It was formal, at least, if not all that 'seasonal' maybe... Unless she passed herself as something to do with ice. With such a thought in mind, she'd rummaged for a decoration and some ribbon at the last minute and, added to her outfit, was a crude green ribbon bracelet, with a small fabric piece of holly attached. She wasn't sure that was very fashionable at all but at least there was something relevant to the time of year on her.

Tambrey hesitated as she entered, taking a breath before going in, and feeling very awkward- both over and under-dressed at the same time. Her gown wasn't exactly 'lavish' and yet she still felt very dressed up all the same. Apparently these 'formal' things didn't get easier just because they were on the base.
Still, people here were those she knew and wanted to spend time with so all she had to do was wander in and look for them.
The music was good, she noted, as she wandered into the room carefully, making her way toward the tables on one side.  

[LexThetaSigma]

(Miette)

While his trainer was too busy staring off into space, the Pichu on his shoulder looked around to see if there were any of the other's pokemon out. After all, the humans shouldn't get to have all the fun. He spotted a ghost hanging out by one of the other men and slightly hid behind the head of his trainer; he wouldn't be approaching that one anytime soon.

He briefly noticed a familiar face walk in, one that his human would be extremely glad to see once he finally spotted her. From what he could see, whatever she was wearing looked like it matched the strip of fabric the man had tied around his neck.

His gaze continued to pan the room until he spotted someone that made him stop and his eyes widened. There sitting on the shoulder of a man with red hair was the most beautiful thing he had seen since he had been hatched. He felt his heart race and looked between the pokemon and his trainer before scurrying down the man's arms and racing over towards the heavenly sight he had spotted.  

[Blood_Goddess]

(Frost)

At Frost's words, a small smile touched Faleen's lips, taking the plate from him to free up his hands for a few moment.
"With practice I can assume."

She nodded politely when he thanked her, continuing with a glance down at her dress when he brought it up, her smile only widening at the mention of the silver and her profession.
"Thank you' Frost. I suppose I really am that transparent,"
She shifted the plate to her other hand, looking back up at Frost. "I will admit I didn't keep up with current trends for this event, I couldn't tell you the status of silver dresses acceptance in formal attire. This was purely self interested,"
It had not been the first time she had to get dressed up for Rocket, but in those events, it was about blending in.

"You are looking quite dapper." she commented, noticing how easily he wore the suite, though this was no surprise. Frost pretty much always looked very proper.
"I will admit I'm surprised by the level of formality in this kind of party"
With this she glanced around the room. "I'm not aware of it happening in HQ before."  

[Natsuko-neko]

(Frost, Faleen)

Xander was running slightly late but that was sue to a certain bird pokemon that kept trying to nest in his hair. It was messy enough normally with out Fai making it worse thank you. He did eventually get the excitable pidgey to stay in his pokeball and tame his hair which was why he was just stepping into the training room. The room certainly looked good and the music was excellent so he gave a small grin and looked around to spot Frost talking to Faleen.

He made his way over to them and his grin turned into a smile. "Good evening." He greeted as he stepped up next to them. "Both of you look good tonight." He addressed them both but his eyes lingered on Frost and his smile grew.  

[Shawn Darrow]

[Asch, Kratos, Everyone]

Grunt Shadow lingered by the wall feeling sheepish and shy. He had never belonged at events like these. He knew Team Rocket was kind of like his family now, it was still difficult adjusting to the new lifestyle. For once he didn't have to be the kid on the outside looking in.

That didn't do much to change how he felt, of course, but he supposed if he had gotten himself to attend the last couple Halloween parties, a party at Headquarters couldn't be all that bad. What was more was that he didn't have to go out in the cold for once. Eventually, he figured, he'd get used to being a part of festivities as long as he continued to attend them whatever chance he got.

Though mingling wasn't his specialty, Shadow didn't often have time to spend with others - Rockets or not - and he wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by. In years past he'd always been curious what the big fuss was over get-togethers and general holiday hullabaloo. If nothing else, at least there was the free food that Arcadie's merry almost-threatening e-mail had mentioned. Her playful invitation had brought a smile to his face and that was rare enough for him these days.

Attire had been something of a problem, unfortunately. One of the reasons he had chosen to linger by a wall was to avoid drawing too much attention to his lack of formal wear. Shadow wasn't wearing a grunt uniform, but he didn't have anything quite festive to wear, either. He'd heard, of course, that the Rocket KO had been taking commissions regarding clothing but Shadow didn't think he had the nerve to ask the guy. He gave the younger grunt the creeps.

There was also the little detail that Shadow had no proper money to pay for a commission besides his meager salary as a Rocket and he wasn't sure that would cut it. Therefore the teenager had opted to come in his usual clothing of a t-shirt, baggy jeans, and his long black coat. He was most comfortable in his usual outfit even if it was thin and worn; it wasn't as cold inside as it was outdoors, so there wasn't much need to dress warmly.

The clothing wasn't formal, but it wasn't Rocket uniform exactly either. They couldn't throw him out of the party for that, could they...? In any case, it was less likely than being thrown out of the League's party. Another good reason he'd opted to attend this one instead.

Nevertheless, the boy felt shabbier than usual when compared to all his dressed-up colleges. He himself had never worn a single suit or piece of formal clothing in all his life and he wasn't so sure he envied the ones he saw who were. He tried not to laugh at seeing Rory in a tie, but he had to keep absolutely silent when he noticed Tambrey show up in a matching dress. Had they planned that? It would have been impossible to know without asking. Shadow dared not ask, though, lest his partner think he was trying to mock the couple.

In truth, Shadow probably should have been working his usual job as hall monitor during night shift, but he currently had no monitoring to do. People were coming in and out of rooms to attend the party right on base and many were likely going to be up all night or out anyway, so what was the point? It was much less lonely being around all these other people, even if half of them didn't seem to even want to be here.

Petting a spikey yellow bundle in his arms, the grunt glanced to his left and right. On occasion, an Agent Asch would stand by during breaks from his music-playing. To his other side stood an older red-head with another electric-type on his shoulder. This one was pink, though...and was that...? Shadow shook his head. Thor? Really? Well...he supposed even pokemon got lonely too. After all, Lindsay had been feeling quite neglected lately with all the ghosts he'd had his hands full with.

Speaking of ghosts...the boy noted a familiar, dark figure out the corner of his eye. If it hadn't been for the intimidating Bro, the young teen would have gone up to Jerome right off the bat. At least that guy must have had an inkling of how out of place Shadow felt. In the meantime, though...there was room to make new acquaintances.

"Wow...where'd you learn to play like that?" Shadow asked casually - or at least as casually as he could, talking to a higher-up - once the red-headed agent had finished the song he'd been playing. "And two instruments...that's...that's quite a feat." Peer or not, the street kid may have noticed Asch's playing, but his critical looks toward the other musicians hadn't escaped him either. The agent seemed to have quite a reputation for being intimidating, and with good reason. What was more was that Shawn had heard rumors lately that Asch had once been nobility. Maybe even royalty.  

[BlackPidgeot]

[Shadow]

Once done with that last song, Asch lowered his bow and looked down from his position on the platform to a grunt he barely knew. Despite his usual grumpy attitude, the agent was trying to be civil, and this guy was paying him a compliment anyway. There was no smile, but no harsh tone either when he answered Shadow's question.

"It's not that much of a feat. Many musicians learn to play the piano before taking on a more complex instrument. I've been playing ever since I was little. I had a private tutor."

It happened to be one of the few things he kept from his old life. Playing music was something that Asch truly enjoyed.

"I'm taking requests if you have any."