A moment.
 
Two.
 
And, finally, a third marked the end of the prolonged silence.
 
The crease in Viol's brow had yet to smooth, but some of the anger had fizzled from his eyes, and puzzlement bubbled up in its absence. "You--" When he opened his mouth to speak, his voice came out quieter than intended, so he swallowed to clear his throat before trying again. "You want to go with me, too? W-with both of us?" The second attempt came out better, but still beta enough that he could feel the embarrassment in his cheeks.
 
"If that's okay." Teej gave a half-smile. "Although I'd understand if you wa--"
 
"Are you trying to two-time my sister... with me?"
 
The half-smile faded into something more sardonic. "Not quite," he said. "Like I told you, this is just a ball. It's not really a date, or at least not necessarily. More like a play date. Just a way to get to know each other better."
 
Viol scoffed. "Yeah, I bet you're planning on getting to know each other real well."
 
Somehow, Vanille managed to push past her fluster long enough to interject, "It's not like that!" before Viol's and Teej's collective gaze sunk her back into it. "It's not anything indecent or l-lewd," she continued, looking away. "A-and even if it was, it's going to be hosted on a blue board anyway."
 
This did little to calm Viol's petulance. He folded his arms in front of his chest and asked, "So what?"
 
"So the mods'll be doing it for free all night," Teej said, then sighed. "Look, if you don't want to go, that's fine, but your sister's her own tan and she can make decisions on her own. If she wants to go to the ball with me, you're just going to have to accept it."
 
"Don't tell me what to do! And I didn't say I--" Viol stopped himself short. "I-I mean, uh. Even with the mods, how am I supposed to trust a creep like you with my sister?"
 
"It isn't up to you, Viol!" Vanille interjected, walking a few steps from the closet towards Teej. "Teej and I are going together and there's nothing you can do about it. So... So there. Just go back to breeding your retarded incestuous Treecko for ORAS and leave us alone already!"
 
Although the Pallet siblings were divided on nearly every issue but the competitive viability of Flareon, Vanille's remark felt like a slap, and it was all Viol could do to keep it from showing on his face. His silence, however brief, was opportune, though, and as Teej picked up on it, he hoped to all that was holy that he had enough charisma to smooth everything over. The /v/ family was already segmented enough; he didn't want to be responsible for any further agitation of the situation.
 
"Maybe it would be best if I came back later..."
 
Teej cursed inwardly and stifled a cringe. What a terrible roll.
 
Vanille reached out to Teej's sleeve compulsively, but just short of grabbing it she realized what she was about to do and hesitated. When her hand finally found its target, it was a shyer movement than she'd anticipated. "No! Viol should leave. He's just jealous because I got a date first and he wants to ruin it for me like he ruins everything. Don't let him ruin this."
 
"I'm not..." Teej shook his head. "I guess being hard of hearing runs in the family. I'll say it again. We're going together no matter what." He paused. "I mean, unless you change your mind." Or maybe if he managed patch things up with /d/emona... The thought barely had the time to form before a glance at Vanille's face, still radiating excitement even in the midst of an argument, brought a pang of guilt that swelled and crushed it.
 
"I won't!" she chimed, hands clenching his sleeve tighter, and dear god it was like she was slathering a thick layer of shame atop a cake of self-reproach. It seemed that, for better or for worse, he and /d/emona would be taking a break this year.
 
"It's just a matter of whether Viol wants to go, too... And I think I've got my answer, so it's probably best that I go now anyway. I'll, uh, pick you up at three, then?"
 
"Wait!"
 
The two of them looked to Viol, who's expression was now split between a twitching, self-assured smirk and shifting eyes. They scanned Vanille before moving to Teej and lingering, then widened as they darted away and he let out a huff.
 
"I-it's not like I want to go with you or anything," he said. "It's just that I can't trust your word."
 
Vanille opened her mouth to contend, a lengthy argument that they were the same age right on the tip of her tongue, but past her brother's blustering she couldn't help but notice his reddening cheeks. Her argument died in a deadpan stare.
 
"Even if you say you don't have any bad intentions, I can't just trust some scruffy ball sack I've never met with my sister. So I'll go, okay?" Viol stared pointedly at the wall. "A-as a chaperon."
 
Irritation and beguilement fought for control over Teej's expression. He wasn't sure which reaction was more appropriate, but he'd been called worse things than a 'scruffy ball sack' before. Ultimately, amusement won out and quirked his brow as he let a breathy chuckle escape through his nose. "You're going to be chaperoning?" he asked.
 
"Yeah. I am." Viol's chin jutted out stubbornly, but he still refused to make eye contact. "Got a problem with that?"
 
Teej shook his head, forcing the corners of his mouth to stay down. "Can't say that I do. I was the one that invited you, after all."
 
"Good."
 
"How does three sound?"
 
Viol blinked, surprise lowering his hunched shoulders. "Huh?"
 
"I'm picking you up. How does three sound?"
 
"That..." he hesitated. "Th-that sounds good, I guess. I mean, it's fine. I'll allow it."
 
A snort of laughter left Teej before he could force it down, and Viol shot him a quick glare.
 
"What's so funny?!"
 
"Nothing," he said with a dismissive shake of his head. "I'll come get you at three, then. And, uh, if your sister and I end up playing some games before then, I take it you'll want to chaperon us then, too?"
 
"O-of course! You can't be trusted alone with her."
 
"Then I'll keep in touch," Teej said, and as he turned to the door, Vanille's hands fell from his sleeve. He smiled at her and gave her hair a quick ruffle. "See you soon?"
 
Vanille nodded meekly, but once Teej was out the door it transformed at a sly grin.
 
She pointed it at her brother with a smug, "He charmed you."
 
Viol started. "Wh-what?! He did not!"
 
"Then how come your attack harshly lowered after he asked you to the dance?"
 
"It didn't! Charm only works on the opposite gender, stupid!"
 
She rolled her eyes. "That's captivate. Charm works on either gender. But I guess it's super effective against fag-types, who knew?"
 
"Sh-shut up! You're the fag!"
 
"You're the one going to the ball with another guy."
 
"I'm chaperoning!"
 
She snickered. "Call it whatever you want. You can't change the facts."
 
Viol glared at her, but he couldn't think of anything to say so he just simmered for a moment before walking back to his 3DS and flipping it open. A victorious pucker found Vanille's lips, but she decided to leave the teasing there for the time being; maybe it'd keep Viol quiet for a while, and she had more important things to focus on anyway. Like what in the world she was going to wear.
 
As she turned back to her wardrobe, though, Viol spoke up. "Hey, do you know where the Amulet Coin is?"
 
"Huh?" She turned her head back towards him. "Why?"
 
"What do you mean, why?!" he asked. "Because I need money, obviously!"
 
The boutique in Lumiose was expensive, after all.