I technically finished this chapter the day before I posted it, but I've decided that I want to give you all more time to process what has happened in the story. I'm aware that I'm a faster writer than most.
This chapter wasn't easy to write, since I'm not the best at writing party scenes, but I still think you guys will enjoy it. I greatly appreciate all the support you people have given me, and let's get into the story.
Potential trigger warning: Excessive drinking is featured in this chapter. Nothing too dark, nothing NSFW, just might be a bit sensitive to some folks. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Two hours later, I had prepared all I needed to. Once I'd gotten back from the orchard and my chore of picking mangoes, I'd met Amanda in the living room.
"You're sweating a lot," she noted, perhaps unnecessarily.
"Amanda, I know", I responded, trying not to raise my voice too much. For better or worse, we were soulmates now; we'd have to learn to live with each other, so it was better not to get in a fight with her.
"You really need to shower before you attend the party" the Braixen insisted. "In fact, don't sit on any of the furniture, that table is mahogany and shouldn't be ruined by perspiration."
After I had taken a shower and dressed in some of the finest clothes I had (a fleece shirt and khaki pants, without a tie), I went back downstairs. I'd made sure I looked my best; there was nothing more that could be done.
To my surprise, as soon as I reached the living room again, Amanda leaped to her feet and pulled me into a hug. "You look good!" she exclaimed. "I think you're going to love it there, Victor."
This really surprised me, because not fifteen minutes ago, Amanda had been making fun of me for sweating a lot. Now, she was being rather complimentary. Did this girl have no consistency?
"Thanks" I said, once I had regained my composure somewhat. "That makes me feel a lot better about this."
"Don't be nervous. Everyone here was new once; if they could handle it, then so can you."
Truth be told, I wasn't that nervous to begin with, but through the power of suggestion, I could feel my heart start racing and my stomach turn sour at the thought of speaking in front of dozens of people.
But I won't be. No need for public speaking on my part. So why do Amanda's words unnerve me so?
I couldn't remember if Cyrus had told me what time to arrive at the party, so, just to be safe, I left as soon as I could and made my way to the outskirts of Enil Edam.
Now, I was standing in between two people. One was a girl with light brown skin and brown eyes who looked about my age, the other was a man several years older than me with long, dark brown hair. We were at the shuttle station, which had taken some effort in order for me to find it.
"Uh...are you guys going to Maximus Mansion?" I asked both people next to me.
The young woman nodded. "Uh, yes. Are there any other places to go via this station?"
I shrugged. "Sorry, I didn't know."
It intrigued me to think about how Maximus Waters must have earned his giant manor on Paradise Island. Not only that, but he'd gotten to have public transportation directly to and from it. How are the different social classes determined here? That's something I'd like to know.
Soon enough, the shuttle "bus" pulled up in front of us. It looked just like your standard three-row van, nothing too special about it. I remembered that Cyrus the Lucario had told me Maximus lived modestly; this seemed to be a prime example of that.
We piled into the van and were driven along one of the most gorgeous roads I'd ever seen. Over the course of the twenty-minute ride, we passed through the island's grassy interior, past the agricultural complex I'd worked at earlier that day, and along some seaside cliffs.
The sun was sinking over the ocean, turning that section of the sky orange. Far in the distance, I could see people rock climbing, jet skiing, and even paragliding at sunset over the water.
"That looks amazing" I said aloud. The thought of taking off from a mountain and flying over the ocean and grasslands of Paradise Island, against a beautiful sunset, sounded heavenly, no pun intended.
"What looks amazing?" the man from earlier asked me. "You new here or something?"
I nodded. "Was just seeing all those people doing extreme sports, and they look really exhilarating, especially with views like this."
"Well, you'll get the chance to do that stuff eventually," a middle-aged woman with a ponytail, who was sitting right in front of me, replied. "It's a ton of fun; the feeling of flying is one I know, and it's incredible."
"I might be a bit too scared for that" the young dark-skinned woman said. "What if something goes wrong?"
All of us ended up laughing at that, including the speaker. For obvious reasons, those activities wouldn't seem to pose much risk to us, even if something went badly wrong.
Anyway, it wasn't much longer after that when we pulled into a neighborhood where the homes were all mansions. While the home Amanda and I shared was larger than what I'd lived in on Earth, these houses were in an entirely different category.
Each one would have been large enough to take up at least three lots in my own American suburb. They all had at least three floors and probably basements as well, and I couldn't help but gape in awe every time we passed one.
Finally, the van ground to a halt in front of what can only be described as the most extravagant dwelling I'd ever seen.
The Maximus Mansion was five stories tall and wide enough to take up an entire city block. There was a yard the size of a football field, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and even courts for tennis and what I assumed was Pokemon battling.
In other words, this could barely be considered a house; it was more like a castle. As we were let out of the van into the glorious evening, I could barely believe my eyes at the sheer elegance of it all.
I must have stood in one position, looking rather dazed at the incredible sight, for way longer than would have been expected. The reason I believe this is because I felt a tap on my right shoulder, as well as heard a voice say, "Hey, dude, you okay?"
Turning to my right, I saw that the speaker was a Lucario in a tuxedo. It wasn't Cyrus; it was a different male Lucario, one who looked to be about thirty. He gave me a smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I told the Lucario butler. "Just a bit awestruck at how impressive this place is."
"This is not merely a place, sir," the butler replied. "This is Maximus Mansion, and you would be wise to remember that. In any case, would you care for some mango juice?"
I had been expecting to be greeted with an alcoholic beverage, since that was usually how these parties operated. However, I certainly wasn't going to complain; during my first life, I'd had no desire to drink even once I'd turned twenty-one.
Mango juice...a reminder of how I'm still sore from pushing that wheelbarrow eight miles. Thanks a lot, Mr. Butler.
But I took the drink anyway, and it still tasted great. There was a certain satisfaction to be gained from enjoying the literal fruits of one's labor, and I downed the glass in a few gulps.
It was sweet, cold, and tasted perfectly fresh. That was what led me to another realization about what this party had to offer: The food was no doubt top-notch.
All over the football field-sized front lawn, partygoers were milling around, talking with one another about various subjects. A few were humans, but most of them were Pokemon, and I remembered what Amanda had told me about becoming one in the future.
Eh, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Tonight is about living...or is it after-living? Is that even a word? Well, it is now!
In addition to the features mentioned above, the castle (I mean, mansion) contained a large silver fountain on its grounds. It wasn't quite as grand as the one in Enil Edam depicting Arceus, but it was still a remarkable feat of artistic engineering, since it contained a statue of a twenty-foot Steelix.
While there were about thirty partygoers in the front yard, there were many more inside the manor, as evidenced by the numerous vans identical to the one that had driven me here, all parked in a nearby lot. By my estimation, there must have been at least a hundred people (and/or Pokemon) inside.
Passing by the fountain, where a photographer was taking pictures of attendees in front of the Steelix statue, I made my way into the manor's front hall. And if I'd thought the place had been grand on the outside, then, to put it one way, "I hadn't seen nothing yet!"
The front hall was made of marble, with a curved staircase leading up to the second floor. A series of balconies ringed the front hall itself, which contained a fireplace, tables set up for appetizers, and, of course, dozens of guests talking to one another.
I'll admit it; the sight was intimidating at first. I didn't know any of these individuals, and many of them seemed to be very close with one another. However, as I was cutting myself a slice of cheese and placing it on a saltine cracker, I saw…
"Cyrus!" I exclaimed.
The Lucario from Frozen Assets was making his way through the crowd, carrying a glass of what looked like wine. He was smiling in a manner that suggested he was, while perhaps not drunk, a little more excitable than he should have been.
"How's it goin', Victor?" Cyrus asked me, more casually than would have been expected at an ordinary cocktail party, let alone one with all the movers and shakers of Paradise Island.
"Uh...it's going fine, I guess," I replied warily. "Just a bit overwhelmed by all the people here."
"Don't worry, you get used to it after a while" the Lucario responded, taking another swig of his drink. As he exhaled after that sip, I could smell the wine on his breath, and knew he'd probably had one too many.
"Uh, Cyrus? Not to be rude, but how much have you had to eat?"
It was perhaps a bit intrusive to ask this right away, but I remembered reading that the more you ate at a party, the more your body would break down the alcohol so that you didn't get drunk.
"Jus' a cuppa olives and a cracka" Cyrus responded, swaying slightly on his feet. "Not too much, gotta stay in shape."
Two things bothered me about that. First off, that wasn't much food. Also, who unironically eats olives for a snack?
"You need to sit down," I told Cyrus politely and forcefully at the same time. "I honestly believe you're drunk."
The Lucario began protesting, but I managed to discreetly lead him to the stairway, and told him to sit on the first step until he felt clear-headed. Of course, since I hadn't ever dealt with an intoxicated creature before, I wasn't aware that it's not that simple.
"I'm per-fucked-ly fine" Cyrus replied, laughing as he purposely mispronounced the second word, as though it were the funniest joke in the world. "Per-fucked-ly. That's hilarious."
"Yes, it is," I said, not because I agreed with him (I didn't), but because I was willing to tell him anything so that he'd stay where he was for the rest of the party. "But you need to calm down, stay here until you sober up. Or just leave."
Even though I was amazed at the grandiosity of the manor, I was also ashamed that the only reason I'd come was because I'd been invited by a Lucario who turned out to be a drunk as well.
That doesn't mean he's an alcoholic, though. Maybe he just drank a bit too much tonight, got a bit carried away. Anyway, he's not my problem anymore.
A man in a tuxedo, not the Lucario butler from earlier, handed me a small piece of paper. "Thanks" I told him, not realizing what it was at first.
When I got the chance to look at the paper, I saw that it was a schedule for the party. During dinner, Maximus Waters would give a speech honoring the newcomers to the island, which included myself. There would then be a Billy Talonflame concert, followed by some more time to mix and mingle before the party ended at half past eleven.
Well, it's certainly going to be an eventful evening, if the last few minutes were any indication.
The size of the crowd made me somewhat nervous, but thankfully, none of them appeared to have noticed Cyrus being drunk. Of course, it was quite possible that they were drunk themselves.
I pushed my way through the throngs of partygoers and found the manor's garden. Almost immediately, I felt as though I were stepping into a fairy tale.
The garden contained a fountain of its own, featuring a statue of a pair of Lucario holding hands, illuminated by small lights against the darkening sky. All sorts of flowers in a rainbow of colors dotted the patches of mulch.
I'd never been one for gardening, but even I had to admit that this garden was quite something. Part of me wished I lived here, although, of course, life in the Maximus Mansion surely had its downsides.
Who cares about those downsides? Yeah, I might not like it if the place feels way too big for me, but that's a lot better than a tiny apartment. Fortunately, my own dwelling is a happy medium between those two extremes.
Anyway, past the garden, there was a field where a number of round tables had been set up. At each position, there was the traditional setup of forks, knives, napkins, etc. There were also cards at every seat, each one bearing a name that indicated who was meant to sit there.
I didn't really feel like being social, so I found the card bearing my name and sat down. In the distance, I could see a stage with a drum set and microphone on it, which must have been where Billy Talonflame was eventually going to perform.
There was already someone sitting next to me, and I was a bit struck by the sight of her. Something told me that I didn't want to piss her off, to put it mildly.
She was a majestic Pokemon I recognized immediately as a Ninetales. Taking a sip of what looked like apple juice, she smiled as she saw me.
"You must be Victor Chelan, then. My 'soulmate' has told me a lot about you."
I narrowed my eyes, somewhat confused at her words. "Okay. Who is your soulmate?" I asked her.
"The Lucario who invited you here," the Ninetales replied, smiling at me.
"Cyrus is your soulmate?" When I'd first met Cyrus yesterday, I would have thought he'd make a good soulmate; now, after seeing how prone he was to overdrinking, I wasn't so sure.
The Ninetales nodded. "Yes, we were assigned to each other, although our 'marriage' of sorts has definitely had its ups and downs. In any case, my name is Raina."
I chose my next words carefully, so that I didn't sound too much like I was flirting with her. "That's a pretty elegant name," I said.
If anything, her name was the least elegant thing about her. Perhaps it was just a function of being a Ninetales, but Raina seemed to have been a socialite in her past life. At a minimum, she'd had a lot of practice pretending to be one.
"Thanks," Raina replied in between sips of juice. "I wish I could have gotten a different soulmate sometimes, but it just wasn't in the cards. Sometimes you've got to play with the hand you were dealt."
"I understand that," I said in response. "Honestly, I spent most of today picking mangoes at the orchard, so my afterlife hasn't been perfect so far."
"How long have you been here, Victor?" she asked me. "Cyrus told me you'd just arrived yesterday."
I nodded. "Yep, yesterday was the first day of my afterlife. And I got paired with a Braixen named Amanda."
"Amanda Mariner? She's a lot like me" Raina said.
"How so?"
"Well, we both came from similar backgrounds on Earth, and I'd say we're quite good friends here. But she's been here for two months, and it's been a rather turbulent time for her."
"Turbulent? What do you mean by that?"
Raina frowned. "The dictionary defines turbulent as, characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion; not controlled or calm."
"You know what I mean. In what way was it turbulent?"
The Ninetales shook her head. "I don't think it's my place to tell you about it. If anyone is going to explain it, it should be Amanda."
"Fair enough," I told her.
So now I was aware that my soulmate had some secrets in her past that she didn't want me to know about, at least not yet. While I certainly wasn't going to pry too hard in an effort to find out what those secrets were, part of me wondered why she was keeping them from me.
Relax, dude. You've only known her for a day and a half. Eventually she will open up, and if she doesn't? Well, that's none of your business.
After a while, more and more guests began trickling into the dining area, and soon enough, butlers, a variety of Pokemon including Lucario, Blaziken, Infernape, and even a few very strong Eeveelutions, began carrying dishes to the tables.
The first dish that was set in front of me was a salad with lettuce, parmesan, tomatoes, and cucumber. Although I normally wasn't one for salad, even if it was drenched in dressing, this salad was different. Something about it just made my mouth water.
"Yes, this manor's kitchens are world-class" the man next to me, a Gardevoir, said suddenly. "If this is the good place, these are the good plates." He chuckled at his own joke.
As we dug into our salad (which tasted just as good as it looked), I saw a tall, muscular Pokemon take the stage. It was a species I hadn't yet witnessed on this island, but I knew a Machamp when I saw him.
The Machamp grinned as he cleared his throat and looked directly at us. His first words, while they merely confirmed what I already knew, were spoken with authoritative confidence.
"Good evening, everybody. As you will all know by now, my name is Maximus Waters, and I'm the owner of this manor, as well as your host for tonight. I am very glad to see you all today."
While the crowd didn't exactly go wild, they didn't exactly seem apathetic either. Most of the other guests looked as though the feeling of excitement was mutual.
"Now, I hope you are all enjoying the festivities. It is my honor to welcome you all to Paradise Island, for each and every one of you have earned your place here."
"Damn right I did!" shouted a man from the next table over. "Red Cross donations, baby!"
"Ah, yes, that is one way you can gain brownie points from the powers that be here. The High Court of the afterlife, the group known as the Heaven Renders, have blessed all of you with the gift of paradise. It is a gift none of you should take for granted, as many others did not attain it."
At that moment, I remembered something Amanda had said to me that morning. While I didn't think Maximus was deliberately trying to guilt-trip us, my soulmate might have found his words rather insensitive.
Is it really paradise if people you care about are down there?
"I would say to eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. But three out of four ain't bad, are they?" Maximus laughed.
After clearing his throat once more, the Machamp continued his speech. "I wish to keep this rather brief, because I know how badly all of you want to hear the band perform. Like I told you earlier, I'm very happy to see so many smiling faces!"
The crowd really did go wild this time; there was a collective shout from most of the partygoers. This time, I was actually among them, although Raina looked at me disapprovingly as I shouted in joy.
"First, I want to thank all of the essential workers who've helped make this day happen. Whether it be the butlers who have been giving us drinks, the cooks who have made all this delicious food, or the groundskeepers for keeping the estate as immaculate as possible, I want all of you to know: Your work is greatly appreciated."
I'm glad he's at least somewhat humble. He seems to know that he's not the only reason this event could happen; a guy has to have some humility.
"Next of all, I want to lay down a few rules for this event, just to make sure that nothing gets too out of hand. First rule is this: A healthy amount of revelry is perfectly fine, but the key word there is healthy. Don't be throwing chairs and all that."
If Cyrus' state means anything, I'm not very optimistic about that rule being followed. Just a hunch.
"The second rule: Nobody will be allowed within twenty feet of the stage when the band plays. Even when they're on 'Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rattatas', I ask that you do not get too close and stay in your seats. This is not a mosh pit.
"Finally, if you break either of the above rules, you will not be permitted to attend any future gatherings at the Maximus Mansion. You will be escorted off the premises and banned for afterlife from the estate. If you subsequently enter the estate, you will be considered a trespasser, and we will not hesitate to press charges."
Pressing charges? Well, I know I'm going to behave, that's for sure! I'm not even gonna have a sip of alcohol, I need to stay sober!
Maximus, whose demeanor had been rather grave up to now, began smiling again. It startled me how he could switch so quickly from serious to lighthearted.
"With all of that out of the way, I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your meal; there are two more courses. I will step out of the way and talk with the band."
And then the Machamp left the stage, leaving an empty microphone in his place. I hadn't realized that I had stopped eating, but I dug into my salad with a new vigor, appreciating bite after succulent bite.
Eventually, once most of us had finished our salads, the dishes were taken away. For the next few minutes, I heard several side conversations around me, but I didn't pay them any attention. I simply sat back in my chair and tried to appreciate the moment.
Here I was, in a heavenly afterlife that I had until recently not even believed to be real. The sky was by now almost completely dark, and I could even see a couple of stars directly above me.
"Yes, those stars are amazing, aren't they?" Raina blurted out, somehow managing to sound elegant as she did so.
I was rather surprised that she'd spoken up; she'd seemed like the type of Pokemon who didn't use her vocal cords unless absolutely necessary. That being said, I'd been afraid to address her, for fear that I would annoy her. The last thing you want to do is annoy a Ninetales.
"They are," I replied. Then, realizing that this was something she ought to know: "I need to tell you something about your soulmate."
"What's that?" Raina all but gasped, still managing to sound calm. "And how do you know this?"
I was committed now; there was no coming back from the rough waters this conversation had been steered into.
"Cyrus is drunk right now. He was with me earlier, but I made him sit on the edge of the stairs. He's definitely not in the right headspace to be at this party."
There was a silence after that between the two of us. Even the other guests at the table had ceased their side conversations and were now focusing solely on Raina and I.
I expected Raina to yell at me; indeed, I expected far worse than that. She might turn me into a Skitty, or place a curse that caused me to act as drunk as her soulmate was at the moment.
To my surprise, the Ninetales didn't do any of those things. What she did do was to sigh before responding with, "Yes, I already knew about that. Cyrus drinks a lot; wine is a particular vice of his."
"Any particular reason why?" the bearded man on the other side of her from me asked her.
Raina shook her head. "No...well, I don't know. He just seems to want to indulge in all the best things the afterlife has to offer. Just because he's immortal now doesn't mean he's immune from the effects of alcohol."
Perhaps there was something more, something the Ninetales wasn't telling me. However, for fear of crossing a line with Raina, I didn't press her any further.
To my relief, it wasn't much longer before the main course was presented at each of our places. This would exempt me from further potentially awkward conversation, at least for the time being.
The main course for each of us was a large filet mignon that looked juicier than a watermelon, as though it would simply melt in your mouth. It was served next to a buttered and seasoned baked potato and a bread roll.
The conversation around the table ground to a halt as we began cutting into our steaks. I could hardly wait to take the first bite, and I wasn't disappointed in the least once I did.
Just like I had expected, the meat seemed to dissolve on your tongue, leaving behind the glorious juices contained within the steak. The potato also hit the spot, and I found myself wishing I could get seconds.
Of course, just because I wanted seconds now didn't mean I'd want seconds once I had actually eaten them. I knew well enough what happened when I overate, and didn't want that to happen here. Moreover, seconds probably weren't even an option, and asking for them would make me sound rude and ungrateful.
"I wonder when the band's going to come out," a dark-skinned man with freckles and glasses said. I hadn't paid much attention to him until now.
"Billy Talonflame, right?" I asked. "I've never heard of them!"
Raina looked at me as though I were from another planet. Which I guess is actually true, isn't it? But then, aren't we all from Earth? Who cares!
"You haven't heard of Billy Talonflame? Victor, they're one of the greatest bands any world has ever seen! They have a lot of song parodies, such as 'Eleanor Shellstrop', 'Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rattatas', and, of course, their greatest hit!"
"Which is…?"
"'White Spearows', of course!" Raina exclaimed. "So much emotion and power in that one song, it's unreal. I can't wait to hear it tonight!"
The excitement in the garden was palpable; a few minutes later, as the manor's workers were taking away our steak plates, the stage lights switched on, which only added to the festive atmosphere. The roadies started setting up everything the band would need in order to perform their music, and soon enough, a fiery-looking Pokemon that appeared to be some type of bird flew on stage, stood on his hind legs, and grabbed the microphone.
"That's him, it's Wendell Tendai!" Raina mouthed, her eyes lighting up more brightly than the sun. "The lead singer of Billy Talonflame!"
Wendell began shouting into the mic. "All you angels here on Paradise Island! For those about to rock, we salute you!"
There was a great deal of clapping for the next fifteen seconds as Wendell the Talonflame appeared to adjust a few settings on his mic. When the frontman seemed satisfied, he continued his speech.
"It's an honor to play here in Alola. It's been so long since our last show in this region. But let me tell you, Alola is awesome! It's not as nice as Cancun, but it's still nice!"
A tidal wave of laughter erupted from the crowd as Wendell spread his wings, scrunching his legs as though he were about to take flight.
"He's known for this," Raina explained to me in a whisper. "Sometimes he'll fly around the audience, stopping in a few places to take pictures. Wendell Tendai has a bit of a flair for the dramatic, you could say."
"It's not time for me to fly yet, but I will read a poem to you all. I wrote this on the way to Paradise Island, a journey I had to make via plane. Flying is so much more pleasant when you've got your own pair of wings, isn't it?"
More applause. Then, Wendell cleared his throat and read what can only be described as the cheesiest, most thoroughly cringe-worthy poem I'd ever heard.
"Ahem…Spread your wings and learn to fly/Bravery for you and I/Making sure the end's not nigh/View the world through the Eagle's Eye. Amen."
So many things wrong with that. First of all, it sounds like something a four-year-old would write in preschool! Secondly, why end it in 'Amen'? Was that a prayer?
The other members of the audience seemed to agree with me, because there was a massive, collective "BOOOOOOOO" coming from what couldn't have been anything less than half of the guests. I was one of them.
"Moral of the story is, economy class sucks! Always go for premium class, or buy a private jet if you can!"
Someone, I couldn't tell who (perhaps one of his bandmates) whispered something at Wendell. The frontman, rebuked, issued a non-apology towards us.
"What's that? Not all of you can afford private jets? Well, why the hell not? This is Paradise Island, you all live in mansions, don't you?"
Immediately I decided that even if the music was excellent, the Talonflame behind it was not. Seconds after I had this thought, the guitarist (a fellow Talonflame) began the song's opening riff.
Raina began bobbing her head feverishly with the music, and, even though I now disliked Wendell Tendai, I couldn't help but join her. The riff seemed specially designed to send the maximum possible amount of adrenaline coursing through my veins.
For obvious reasons, I can't just post the lyrics here for all to see. However, suffice it to say that I was having a blast listening to the band. The noise coming from the music was loud, but it wasn't deafening by any means.
In the middle of the second song, "White Spearows", a rather emotional ballad about losing a loved one, our steak plates were taken away. I eagerly began to await whatever dish would come next; if my mouth had been watering before, it was now watering so much I was practically drooling.
The whole time the band was playing, Raina looked as though she were in an even higher level of heaven. She would not stop laughing and smiling, a far cry from her demeanor when she was thinking about her soulmate Cyrus.
Speaking of Cyrus, a certain Lucario came staggering towards our table during the band's fifth or sixth song. He wore a drunken smile on his face, and as he got closer, I noticed that his eyes looked even less lucid than they had the last time I'd seen him.
"Wanna ride the Excess Express with me, Raina?" Cyrus asked, nearly slurring his words together. To me, that sounded like the lamest pickup line in the history of any world.
"Sober up first, Cyrus!" the Ninetales exclaimed in a disgusted tone. "This is your night, the one you were most excited for, shouldn't you act a little more presentable?"
"I am acting presentable" the inebriated Lucario insisted, but he might as well have been saying that two plus two equalled five. It was pretty obvious that this wasn't true.
"You're ruining the show!" Raina all but yelled at her soulmate. "All I want is to sit here and enjoy some Billy Talonflame! Is that too much to ask?"
The evening had begun as crystal, but now it had turned into broken glass. I'd been having fun before, but I wasn't anymore. Witnessing Cyrus Damasen, the Lucario who had helped me so much, fighting with his designated soulmate while intoxicated...all it made me do was want to leave the party.
For all intents and purposes, though, I was the captive audience.
Eventually, the band's frontman announced that they would be taking a fifteen-minute break from playing. Wendell Tendai made it clear that the show wasn't over yet, this was simply an intermission of sorts.
In front of the stage, a group of chefs wheeled a massive table into the area that would have been a mosh pit had that been allowed here. Once I saw what was on said table, I was instantly having fun again.
On the table was a cake roughly three feet tall, three feet wide, and four feet long. Every bit of the surface was covered in cream cheese frosting, and a slice had been cut out of it to show that it was indeed yellow cake, my favorite flavor of cake.
If my math is right, that's thirty-six cubic feet of the good stuff. I can't wait to dig in!
"CAKE!" yelled a gruff voice from beside me. As those words came out of his mouth, I knew instantly that the voice belonged to Cyrus, since I could smell the alcohol on his breath; I was also positive that no adult would act this way when sober.
Then it happened.
It was one of those moments that seems to happen in slow motion, and yet you're paralyzed during it, unable to do anything to prevent it. While it only takes a few seconds in real time, you'll later look back on it and think about what you would have, could have, should have done to stop it.
Cyrus leaped from his chair and made a beeline for the cake. A few people stood up from their chairs to look at the display the Lucario was making, but none of them did anything to stop him. Perhaps they didn't realize what his intentions were; to be fair, I didn't fully understand them either.
"Nooooo!" Raina exclaimed as Cyrus leaped upwards, like someone on a diving board, and lunged into the cake.
And then all hell broke loose.
From here on out, expect a chapter every three days until further notice. I'm on a roll with writing this story.
If anyone wants to contact me about anything related to the story or otherwise, feel free to contact me on Discord at Lucas Whitefur#7822. I don't bite.
I'll see you guys next time!