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

threadjacking ok for this post!

[laconism]

i. indoor wallflowering

[Red ends up being dragged by the arm to this party by his good friend Blue, because there's no way he would have stuffed himself into a crowded bar of his own free will. He's released from his friend's grip not long after they're inside, at least, so Red wastes no time in taking refuge along the wall at the back of the restaurant. He can't stand crowds, especially in enclosed spaces, but since he has to be here he'll just be keeping this nice patch of wall warm while eavesdropping on as many conversations as he can, arms folded across his chest.

While Pikachu is not so opposed to the crowd, he remains loyally perched on his Trainer's shoulder. He knows how much Red hates large social gatherings and wants to do what he can to comfort him, occasionally patting the side of Red's head or rubbing his own furry head against the man's cheek, which are in turn met with pets and ear scritches.

If anyone chooses to approach them or blatantly stares in their direction, they'll be met with a neutral gaze from Red, accompanied by a lazy little wave if they're a familiar face. On the other hand, whether they're a stranger or not, Pikachu will always greet everyone enthusiastically.]

Pi~ka!!

ii. outdoor wallflowering

[Once Red has had his fill of being stuck in a rowdy bar and finds an opportunity to slip outside, he gladly does so. He knows that Blue will be upset if he leaves the area without him, so he resists the urge to retreat back into Mt. Silver and sits down at an empty outdoor table, intending to stay here until his friend comes out. Pikachu sits on the tabletop and enjoys receiving pets from his Trainer while Red ruminates on all the pieces of information he learned inside the bar and their situation in general. At least he seems a bit more relaxed, now that he's outside and in a quieter spot...]

iii. wildcard

[any other party-related things you want to do! hit me up at maragidyne or shoot me a pm if you want to discuss beforehand!]

i

[halloflamer]

Hey, chin up.

[After leaving Red to his own devices for a decent enough while, Blue makes sure to check in on his old friend once there's a bit of a breather in the action. Most of the party-goers seem to have filtered in by now, and while Blue was diligently doing his volunteer duty of handing out the drinks from the bar, he had a bit of time to do his own mingling now, and the first order of importance is to see what Red had busied himself with in the meantime.]

[The answer, which he knew already, was not much of anything; it isn't like he expected Red to start throwing himself out into the crowd, but he's a little disappointed that he hasn't even left the same piece of wall.]

[So, he'll keep Red company for a while, sliding a juice over to the other man in an attempt to lift his spirits. Something sweet, to keep his energy up to bear the crowd.]

Don't you wanna meet some other folks around here? Make some new friends? [He asks with a bit of a hopeful tone, while reaching over to give Pikachu some good headrubs. Good work keeping him company, buddy!]

[laconism]

[Seeing Blue approaching from the corner of his eye, Red peels his attention away from a conversation he had been listening to and noticeably brightens up at the glass of juice in Blue's hand. And he isn't shitfaced yet! Good job, proud of you, keep it up.]

Thanks.

[He flashes his friend a rare smile as he accepts the juice and takes a nice, long sip of it. Similarly, Pikachu is thrilled to receive headrubs from one of his favorite humans.] Pi-kaaaa! [That's right, he does the best job at keeping Red company!!]

I did. [You know, the five people he met before the party...]

[halloflamer]

[He won't, Red, but it's a nice thought. Blue grins brightly as he joins Red though, and watches the other boy enjoy his juice. What an easy to please loser......]

Did you? [Blue seems skeptical, continuing to stroke over Pikachu's head and ears and watching the mouse Pokémon melt under his touch. Good boy.... Eevee seems a little jealous, and huffs over to Red, bumping his head insistently against the other boy's elbow. Fine!! If that's how you wanna play!] Like who? Oh, I guess Ren did tell me he'd come across you already....

But, you know, the point of this [He motions around them] is to meet more people, so...

[laconism]

[Red happily feeds into Eevee's bratty need for attention, lifting his free hand to give the adorable little guy gentle, soothing strokes along his head and ears as well. Now they can all be happy, right?

Just casually ignoring that last part in favor of proudly answering Blue's question—]

Izuku, Raihan, Akechi, and Tifa.

[See, that's five whole people total that he met already! And he even got all their names!!]

[halloflamer]

[Oh! That is pretty impressive!! Blue smiles, uplifted by Red's demonstration, and leans forward against the table.] Well, that's a good start! Ah-- Izuku....?

[He pauses a moment, trying to remember who that was- he knew he'd heard the name-- oh! The boy in the void, when they first appeared.... who said he had a Zapdos. Blue uneasily wonders if he'd mentioned it to Red.] Good, that kid made it out of things okay.

Okay, so that's a pretty good start, Red! [He reaches a hand over the table to give Red a cheerful pat on the shoulder.] Now you can network through those people, and meet even more! Sound good?

[He is, perhaps, hoping for too much.]

[laconism]

[His heart swells with joy at the praise from Blue, though he's a bit curious about the Izuku comment; did something happen to him?? But before he can ask about that, Blue mentions networking and Red's brain starts to shut down from anxiety. Even the hand on Eevee's head freezes for a moment, body tensing up before he forces himself to resume petting and pretend that he's totally fine.... except his nervous tic of tilting his head downwards to hide his expression under the brim of his cap immediately kicks in.

Well shit. Face flushing a bit in embarrassment, Red simply responds with a soft groan. Yeah, definitely hoping for too much.]

ii

[rotomphone]

[ as much of a social Butterfree that Raihan is, there are points in a social event where you need some time to breathe. it just so happens that he and Red have decided to take them at more or less the same time; he spots Red at an empty table outside of the bar and strides over with a raised hand in greeting, Duraludon shuffling next to him. ]

Red! Mind if I join you?

[ he'll just slide into the seat opposite him as if he was invited, giving Pikachu a wave as well. this was the rival you were waiting for, right? of course it was! ]

Talk about a lot of information, huh? [ he exhales, sounding dangerously like a sigh. ] I still can't wrap my head around so many people not knowing what Pokémon are... it's weird having to explain it.

[laconism]

[Well, Red certainly is the perfect person to take a breather with, considering how quiet he is. He looks up at Raihan and Duraludon as they approach, offering them a brief wave. He makes no effort to stop the other man from sitting at his table, so clearly he doesn't mind. Pikachu happily returns Raihan's wave and gives one to the other Pokémon as well.]

Mmhm... [Meanwhile, Red's response sounds exactly like a groan. It really is a lot to think about... If he could, he would just shamelessly sleep on this table to cool his brain down, but he can't even do that.

He extends an inviting hand out towards Duraludon; a silent offer to give him head rubs, though if he doesn't want any then that's cool too.]

[rotomphone]

[ excellent! Duraludon will give Pikachu a solemn nod of acknowledgement, and once Raihan is settled in he'll hold a hand out to the Electric-type. if it's sniffed and accepted, he'll move right along to give him some chin scratches. Duraludon, expecting the same from Red's hand, will shuffle over appropriately for those headrubs. ]

It got me thinking... You lot are all from Kanto and Johto, and you seem know each other pretty well at that. I'm the black Wooloo of the group!

[ talking to Ren had put it on his mind. he doesn't know much about that part of the world besides the basics of their League and the big tourist draws. he'd normally just look up everyone's names online, but seeing as that's not an option, he'll just have to inquire on his own! ]

Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. I'm just saying that I don't know much about you. [ it's meant as a royal "you", but also directed at Red in the moment. ] Blue told me he used to be a Gym Leader, Lance is as famous as they come for us Dragon-type specialists, and the Professor goes without saying... but you're a total mystery! What's your story?

[laconism]

[Pikachu sniffs Raihan's hand for a bit and then goes right over to his side of the table so he can bask in those chin scratches and any other forms of affection Raihan wants to give.]

Pikaaaaaa...

[Red begins giving Duraludon those gentle headrubs as he listens to the other Trainer speak. He's kind of surprised to hear that Blue seemingly didn't mention that he was Champion as well. Even though his reign ended within the same day, it's still an accomplishment that he usually likes to boast about.

But his own story, huh? His gaze shifts downward in thought. Honestly Red isn't a fan of talking about himself at all, not even about the highlights of his own career. For one, he doesn't want to come off as a braggart, but he also still holds very complicated feelings about his past. Still... most of it is public knowledge, anyway, and it makes sense that Raihan would be curious about him. Red told him about running the Battle Tree, but not how he actually got to that position in the first place. They certainly don't give that kind of job to nobodies. He supposes it wouldn't be fair to leave Raihan totally in the dark.

Reluctantly, he finally gives a response.]

I... used to be Champion. In Kanto.

[rotomphone]

[ oh hell yes! once he's got his fingers scritching into his fur, he'll move on to rubs behind the ears. big hands mean plenty of petting coverage, which means Pikachu is getting quite a bout of TLC.

Raihan is expecting some sort of decorated battle history, but his eyes widen a bit at what Red says. he almost wonders if he heard correctly! ]

Champion? You're serious?

[ that's nothing to say with a mumble and downcast eyes! seeing as he's been an inch within earning the title for himself on numerous occasions, he knows how significant having the title is. from the way he carries himself, Red just doesn't really scream what he knows as "regional Champion". ]

I mean, I guess I'm not used to hanging around Champions that aren't... [ he pauses for a beat. how does one describe Leon in one word? ] flashy. I never would've guessed... but that sure explains why you were heading an entire facility!

[laconism]

[Red smiles a bit sheepishly at the other man's reaction, looking back up at him properly.]

It was a long time ago.

[To be fair, he was just as quiet and plain-looking back then as he is now. Despite his abrupt unofficial resignation and roughly eight year disappearance from public life, though, he remains one of the most respected trainers in Kanto along with Blue, which is how they both got recruited to run the Battle Tree.]

Galar's Champion... [Now that Raihan brings them up like that, he's curious—] Are you friends with them? What're they like?

[Other than, you know, flashy.]

i

[coordination]

[ Mingling with people and discussing things in a somewhat "professional" manner is something Yzak is used to, so he doesn't seem very out of place at all in this situation, as weird as everything simply is.

He passes Red after grabbing a coffee from the bar, sending him a quick glance-- ]

--Huh? What is that?

[ And then a double-take when he's greeted by the Pikachu. A creature he hasn't seen anywhere else here as of yet, compared to the others running around. ]

[laconism]

[Well, at least that makes one of them... Red is secretly a little disappointed by the reaction, but also not surprised — so far he's only met one person here other than the familiar faces from home who actually know what Pokémon are.]

A Pikachu.

[Pikachu beams up at Yzak and proudly repeats his name, almost as if he's trying to introduce himself.]

Pika~chu!

[coordination]

[ That smile ... so bright, just like the Pikachu ... so much joy and cuteness, it burns. ]

A Pikachu. [ He repeats, looking at the creature, unsure at how exactly to react to him. He settles on a small nod, since that can also just pass for an acknowledgment. ]

I didn't see any more of them running around out here. It's yours, then?

[laconism]

[Red answers with a nod while Pikachu similarly bows his head at Yzak before looking back up at him with unwavering cheerfulness. New friend!!!

His Trainer gives him a loving pat on the head.]

He likes meeting new people.

[coordination]

[ Friendship isn't that easy, Pikachu!! Yzak does seem somewhat interested in him, though, studying his mannerisms and the way he reacts to things. ]

Then he must be having a great time right now, with so many of us gathered here.

And you, what's your name?

[laconism]

[It is if you believe, Yzak!!!]

Mmhm. [Pikachu is having the time of his life, getting to be around so many people. At least one of them is having fun.

Red bows his head as he introduces himself.]

I'm Red.

ii

[forethinking]

(Break. Akechi managed to annoy him, and perhaps it was better to just step out for a bit before he went back behind the counter. It was when he saw Red and Pikachu, a gentle curve on the corners of his lips.

Red seems to be enjoying being alone - perhaps it's overwhelming to him being inside. Blue did say he is shy... Ren doesn't want to intrude his personal space, so he waves from afar.)

[laconism]

[The sound of the door opening causes Red and Pikachu to look up, spotting Ren as he comes out. The other boy's expression right before he noticed them doesn't go unseen by Red and concerns him a little, but also the kid is still basically a stranger so he'll just pretend he didn't see it.

Red nonchalantly returns Ren's wave while Pikachu waves very excitedly.]

Pika pi! [The tone in his voice is beckoning Ren to come sit with them.]

[forethinking]

Hey, Red.

(Sure, why not?

Ren smiles a little, it's been a while since he's seen both Red and Pikachu, so as soon as he sits, a hand goes for petting the Pokémon, knowing fully well how much he enjoys it.)

Hey, I've missed you.

(Raihan had just told him they actually understand human speech, so he feels more comfortable talking to Pikachu like that now. The smile just grows! Pikachu seems to be a sure way to cheer Ren up.)

[laconism]

[Red gives a nod of acknowledgement at Ren's greeting while Pikachu scurries over to his side of the table to receive those pets in full. He also responds very positively to being told that he was missed!]

Piiiikachuuu~! [Pikachu missed Ren too!! He leans his head even further into the boy's touch, the sight so wholesome that Red starts smiling too. He could easily watch this for the rest of the party.]

CUTE ICON

[forethinking]

Please visit more often.

(He asks Red as he scratches behind Pikachu's ears. Not only would Ren adore spending more time with Pikachu, he thinks Red would be a peaceful company through the long, ever-lasting shifts.)

How are you?

uwu

[laconism]

[Red assumes that Ren is saying that entirely because of Pikachu, but he lets out a soft hum of confirmation regardless. He is very much an outdoorsman and the lack of any sort of clock and sun/moon cycles makes it impossible to tell how much time he spends running around this vast place, but he'll do the best he can to come more often. Be prepared for Blue to accompany him on at least some of those visits, though...]

I'm fine. You?