Heavenly Blanc Void Party

[starshower]

🥂 HEAVENLY BLANC VOID PARTY 🥂 Who: Everyone! What: Heavenly Blanc mingle and info exchange Where: The Heavenly Blanc Bar and Café When: "August 1"; but really, what is time Content Warnings: N/A Maybe you heard through word of mouth, or got an invite from the barista and barkeep directly, or spotted the handwritten paper invites hung up around the area, but there is a gathering happening at the Heavenly Blanc Bar and Café TODAY! So feel free to stop by, hang out, have some drinks, and share some stories. 🍺 DRINKS: Coffee will be served by Ren, and Tifa will be handling the other drinks. There's a wide variety behind the bar, ranging from alcoholic to the non-alcoholic, with delicious cocktails (yes, including virgin ones for the minors) to pick from. And before you ask - no, if you are underage, you may not have alcohol. Tifa will be very strict about it, and anyone who tries to bypass her imposed law will be subject to room temperature tapwater for the rest of the party. 🎲 GAMES: Various boardgames that came along with Le Blanc will be made available for all to play, including a Shogi board for the strategically inclined (and whoever knows how the heck to play it). Along the side wall are two pinball machines, and while they don't light up and make sounds, the mechanisms inside them still work, so they aren't completely out of the picture! Next to them, between the jukebox and the door is a dart board. Please do be mindful when throwing darts, as the light filtering into the bar through the front windows is very minimal. 🤔 INFORMATION EXCHANGE: The important part! When all are gathered inside the bar, Tifa and Ren will make a small announcement for everyone: "Now that we've all had the chance to take a look around and get our bearings, I wanna encourage everyone to exchange what you know, or what you've found. Even share it with the rest of us! Locations, ideas, theories - anything that could be useful in helping us all figure this out. We all come from different worlds, but we're stuck here, so we're in this together until we're not, yeah? Let's make friends and play nice, and most importantly, have fun today! Oh, and if you're coming and going, make sure to close the door nice and tight behind you." "It's nice to see everyone. Since we're stuck here together, let's cooperate well." ☕ OOC NOTES ☕ This is the open mingle post for the Heavenly Blanc void party! Please feel free to top-level and tag around. There is a top-level included here for you to post OOC notes of what their characters have discussed on the log, as well as their own thoughts about the world. If there is anything important that people should know, please reply to the top-level with the information, so that it's easy to find for everyone. General info posts about what your character will be talking about are fine as well. Just please try to avoid multiple edits if you can as you thread if you are going that route! for the sake of my dw inbox... Because this is an info exchange/mingle post, we encourage thread-jacking. However, we know that not everyone is into that kind of thing, so if you are okay with others hopping into your threads, please be sure to indicate it in your top-level. Questions about the log can be directed to the ooc post. Have fun!

Comments

hijack away!

[rotomphone]

i. who's that pokémon?

[ general Pokemon prompt! Raihan will be mingling with the crowd, but will more notably have Duraludon at his side. for the sake of not repeating ad nauseum, it can be assumed that he'd given your character the quick and dirty explanation of Pokémon - that they're creatures native to his world that are more or less classified by their elemental abilities, and that they have a close relationship with humans. he doesn't seem familiar with any "animal" terms, but would love to learn more about them!

should he notice you staring at Duraludon, he'll meet your eyes with a bright, fanged smile. Raihan likes to show off on any given day, but his partner deserves some time to shine! ]

You can pet him if you want! He's got a bit of a sour resting face, but he's a sucker for head rubs.

[ obviously this adorable lad is as cuddly as they come. why not indulge him? ]

ii. scribblio

[ over at the whiteboard, Raihan is using some space to draw... something. gaze upon his gloriously rudimentary art skills - you might have to squint, but after a while it seems like he's doing his best to draw the creatures that have been seen roaming this world so far - from memory, mind you. some of them are a little neater than others, like the fish dragon, the paint-tailed creature, and rabbit creatures, which have some features that he's definitely familiar with. that neatness of the drawings stops at creatures that don't appear to have Pokémon qualities that he's familiar with, like the featherless bird, which looks like... well, he really just drew a penis with a beak and two eyes. call a spade a spade.

under each drawing, he writes "NAME:" with a blank next to it. under that, he puts some bullet points; most of them are blank, but the fish dragon, rabbit creature and paint creature have one bullet point filled in each: "MAGIKARP", "PIDGEY", and "SMEARGLE", respectively. what could those words mean? feel free to ask, or give some constructive criticism on his amazing artistic depictions. ]

iii. AMA!

[ Hammerlocke ruins info sharing! word of mouth may have spread that Raihan knows quite a bit about that ruined city with castle stadium; if your character has been there, they may notice the torn banners that decorated the stadium and its lobby have the same draconic emblem that adorns Raihan's uniform if they need to make the association. he'll be glad to answer any and all questions about it, as well as pose theories about why it's in ruins in the first place. have a drink with him; he's great company, as long as you can suppress your eyerolls whenever he calls himself "the great Raihan". ]

iv. wildcard!

[ hit me up with anything else! bounsweet for plotting. ]

II.

[thunderwave]

[ blue has saddled lance with some kind of alcohol, and lance (perhaps surprising everyone) has decided to take it. this has been the most bizarre and uncomfortable experience he has ever had, and sometimes, you just need a drink.

so lance (and dragonite) are leaning against the wall, not really one for . . . parties, necessarily. though he does catch sight of raihan (it's kind of hard not to, the gym leader is very tall), and lance's eyes shift to the white board that raihan is scribbling on. some of them look familiar, but then raihan draws . . . well.

lance's lips twitch, and it is very obvious that he is trying not to laugh, but he quickly hides it with a sip of bourbon (or whatever it is that blue gave him), clearing his throat because obviously, that is not funny.

dick jokes are not funny. ]

HERE BUT NOT HERE

[halloflamer]

I SAAAAW THAAAAT!!

[Comes the mocking, sing-songy call across the room from Blue, who is at the bar counter loading up on another round of drinks from Tifa.]

[Good job, Raihan!!! Where's the damn camera function on his Pokégear when he needs it....!]

[rotomphone]

[ though Blue may be busy across the room, Raihan heard that outburst! it makes Raihan pause from his masterpieces to look around and eventually lay his eyes on Lance, who is very suspiciously sipping a drink. that little clear of his throat all but confirms it, and he smiles innocently at Lance. ]

Pretty good, right? I thought we could use some visuals!

[thunderwave]

[ he tosses blue a really? look from across the room, but soon returns his attention to raihan, his eyes scanning the image again. ]

It's . . . definitely a visual.

[ he can't bring himself to say that it looks atrocious. ]

I doubt anyone will have any trouble identifying what you're attempting to convey.

[rotomphone]

Good! [ he caps the marker, looking very proud of himself. ] That's the idea.

[ his posture relaxes a bit, looking over his handiwork. the images are one thing, but it looks like he's depending on some other people to help fill in the literal blanks in his efforts. ]

I figured if we're going to be around these things, we should at least try to give them some proper names.

[thunderwave]

I think I'll leave the names to the researchers.

[ also, lance is not naming the dick chicken pokemon, thank you very much. ]

At least the Pidgey, Smeargle, and Magikarp can be explained as regional differences, but . . . whatever that is [ and lance gestures at the dick chicken on the white board ] is entirely different.

[ though he's sure blue will have an offensive name for it by the end of the evening. and, in order to shift focus away from the weird flying-type and the dick on the wall, lance says: ]

Have you found anything else of interest, in your explorations? Dragonite and I found a church full of cake, but no such luck in anything else familiar.

[rotomphone]

But there aren't any researchers here! That means we have to call them something in the meantime, right? I don't want to just go on calling them "things"...

[ it feels a little impersonal, not to mention confusing! everything deserves a name, even if they look like literal dicks. it feels as important as anything, seeing as they're stuck here. ]

Hmm... [ he rubs his chin, reflecting on his drawings and Lance's words. ] I'll give you the Smeargle and Magikarp, but could you really call this one a regional variant? Calling it a Bird Pokémon feels like pushing it...

[ it just looks far too different for him to commit to the idea, but that's not to say he's come up with any alternative. it just feels off. ]

Duraludon and I got across the water to that weird structure. We didn't find anything, but it looked like it was some sort of indoor city.

i.

[forethinking]

(Much like their first encounter, Ren cannot stop himself from staring at Duraludon. The yellow eyes are just very unsettling to him!!

Ren just gives Raihan the most surprised and confused look ever to fall upon his face when he offered him the opportunity to pet, leaning a little on the counter.)

He doesn't seem to like me very much.

[rotomphone]

[ and much like that first encounter, Duraludon is staring right back! he can't really make a facial expression to try and ease his worries, so it's just an eternal stare-off... ]

That's not true! [ hm. actually... ] Well, he doesn't not like you. He's just stiff when it comes to new faces.

[ he waves Ren over, urging him to come closer. he's not going to change anything from all the way over there! ]

You just have to get to know each other a little! C'mon. He doesn't bite unless I tell him to. [ that isn't??? reassuring????? ]

[forethinking]

(Ren is Staring. Forever.)

None of this is reassuring, Raihan...

(Truth be told, he's not as approacheable as the other Pokémon Ren has been in contact with, like Red's Pikachu and Blue's Eevee, so... He's really not sure what to make of them as a whole? He does come closer, though.)

Why does he obey you?

[rotomphone]

It should be! The great Raihan never lies, you know.

[ you can't be awesome without being honest, and Raihan will always stand by that. how can you brag about your achievements and strengths if you can't actually back them up? there's no merit in that.

he smiles when he sees Ren getting closer, urging him again. come on, no reason to be shy! ]

I could just say "because I'm his Trainer", but that's not exactly true. Just because you've caught a Pokémon, that doesn't mean they'll obey you. Right? [ he looks to Duraludon with a smile, as if the Pokémon will know what he's talking about. he apparently does, with the way his eyes close and the low, understanding growl he lets out. clearly, there's a story there. ]

Duraludon and I have been through a lot together. So in short... he obeys me because we're friends!

[forethinking]

... He understands you?

(He had his suspicions, with how both Eevee and Pikachu responded to comments, but he never quite understood how much did they comprehend from human speech. While he has Raihan, who apparently never lies, might as well ask all the questions on these creatures as he can!

Also, funny... Ren has a friend who has been through a lot together and doesn't obey him... Must be nice...)

Sounds like an interesting friendship. Do you understand him as well?

[rotomphone]

Pretty much. It depends on the Pokémon, but pretty much all of them can understand humans to some extent. [ and to his follow-up, ] Yeah! It's the same the other way around.

[ never mind people like Psychics, who are literal mind readers and telepaths! they don't count for this explanation, and would definitely make things more complicated. ]

It's got less to do with language and more with... empathy, I guess? We just kind of know what the other is trying to get across.

[ and as if he's understanding Ren's reservations, Duraludon looks at him, pauses for a moment... and moves one of his arms up from its resting position. it almost looks like an offer for a handshake, or at least to urge Ren that he's not as vicious as he looks. it gets a big grin from Raihan, looking at the younger man expectantly. come on, he's trying to be friendly! ]

See what I mean?

2

[halloflamer]

[A little while after screaming across the room, once he's emptied his tray of drinks again, Blue strides over to the whiteboard to get himself a proper look at Raihan's work, appraising it with a critical eye and a hand to his chin.]

Mmm, hmmmmm! Almost right, but Pidgey have additional darker feathers... here--

[Blue picks up the marker and fills in a bit of the feathers under the eyes, completing the signature 'eyepatches', and looking quite proud of himself.]

....Oh, you're missing something here, too. [Trying and failing not to grin (he wasn't trying very hard), Blue also scoots over to the little doodle of the chicken nug and adds--]

[Well.]

[Call it some detail.]

[rotomphone]

[ that little outburst got a snort from Raihan, but ultimately didn't distract him from the task at hand. he's very focused on his art... until he gives up halfway through the pegasus giraffe, basically just drawing a few rectangles in a giraffe (girafarig?) shape with fluffy clouds for wings. he pauses when Blue comes by, admiring his work. ]

Go easy on me! Pidgey aren't native to Galar, you know.

[ he could draw Rookidee until the Miltank came home, but he knows that it wouldn't apply here - Pidgey eyes are pretty distinct. he'll take the correction, seeing as Blue has firsthand knowledge of them.

his smile curls into a wide grin when he sees where Blue is heading next, though. right... the head was missing some extra skin, wasn't it? he's not doing a very good job of stifling his snickers behind a hand, either. ]

Of course! How could I miss that? [ he's just gonna hold his other hand out for a fist bump. well earned, dude. ]

[halloflamer]

Yeah, I can tell, [He giggles, giving him a playful elbow as he sets his marker down. Those edits were quite necessary, if he does say so.]

[He meets the fist without missing a beat, and then rubs his chin.]

You know, it looks kinda like a hat. Heh.

...Actually, they could probably use one... Or like, a sweater... Don't you think those guys look really cold?

[Blue tilts his head oooover to one side. He has had... a few drinks already.]

[rotomphone]

[ he takes that elbow in stride, taking a moment to pause and admire his work. this is amazing if you ask him, but he'll take a few constructive edits here and there. ]

You think? [ he squints. ] Yeah, I see it... but they don't really seem bothered by it, right? I mean, they don't seem bothered by anything.

[ after a lifetime of being around Pokémon, it's a little strange to see a creature so devoid of... personality? maybe that's it, but he can't quite put his finger on it. ]

If you had to give it a name, what would you go for?

[halloflamer]

Waterpha--

[Not even missing a beat, it just comes out before he actually thinks about it, and so when his brain catches up with his mouth he freezes, mouth open, and then closes it.]

[Cheeks pinking, he flicks his gaze here and there.]

....Nevermind, I guess we should pick something clean for the kiddos. Umm....

[rotomphone]

Nope! Veto!

[ he was half expecting something like that, and gives him a stiff poke in the arm with the back end of the marker. negative reinforcement for the naughty drunk boy! ]

Try to get your head out of the gutter, mate. [ speak for yourself, Raihan. he hums, thinking. ] I thought I heard some people calling it a "chicken"... whatever that is. Lemme just...

[ he writes down the word in one of his blanks, with a "?" in parentheses nest to it. it doesn't help at all! ]

Hm... How about "Nuken"? Since it's in the nude and all.

ii

[forwearemany]

(They see an ally, and approach to speak, only to notice he has made an error in his illustrations.

Is it an error?)

We are unaware of any creature that resembles motile Human genitalia.

(They raise an eyebrow flap. Is that meant to be a very bad drawing of the featherless chickens? It seems unlikely that something that's such an accurate representation of a dick could be drawn without the artist realizing.)

[rotomphone]

[ oh, Legion. poor, sweet, innocent Legion. this was entirely intentional. ]

Oh, come on. You've seen those things, haven't you? That's what they look like!

[ he smirks... then it sinks a bit. this can't just be his dirty mind, right?? right?????

he adds some haphazard legs on the balls thighs, looking quite proud. ]

There. How about now?

[forwearemany]

(They consider this.)

Correction: we have not seen creatures that resemble motile human genitalia to the extent of this drawing.

(Not getting it quite yet. Don't worry, they'll get there.)

[rotomphone]

Oh! Well if you haven't seen it yet...

[ that changes things! prepare to get your database blown, because Raihan is taking their hand to lead them out of the bar. ]

I'm pretty sure Cole was carrying one of them around earlier. Let's see if we can find it! [ hopefully it's still around... ] I promise, you'll completely agree with me when you get a proper look at it.

[forwearemany]

(They let out a startled burst of chatter. Raihan might feel them tense, and the sheer solid immovable weight of their form, for just a fraction of a moment before they let him lead them away and out of the bar.

Their hand is strange, jointed hard plastic and metal framework with soft synthetic muscle, warm and full of life, though that life is more a swiftly rushing river than the steady throbbing pulse that fills organics.)

..Acknowledged.