tabularasa_rp | (open) where have you been? been searching all along 𝅘𝅥𝅮

[Ren isn't the only one who's been taking advantage of the newfound lights to explore Wall Market....]

Oh, fancy seeing you here, Ren-chan~!

[Blue calls when he spots Ren seated at one of the stalls, jogging down the aisle of the marketplace to join him. He adjusts his backpack strap and pulls out a stool of his own, plopping down; Eevee toddles after him, and seats himself at Ren's feet with an expectant preen.]

You have the right idea about grabbing some of this tasty food while it's here, huh? Red told me about this place, but I wonder how long it had been here without us being able to see it...

( ... Eh.

Awkward to be eyeing alcohol after the party, where the whole thing was over Ren being a minor and thus, not able to drink. In Heavenly Blanc, that is.

Good thing is that Blue doesn't notice is, he guesses, and his attention drops immediately with Eevee asking for pets, which of course, Ren provide without a second thought, patting on his thigh to tell the Pokémon he is more than welcome to nest on him if so wanted.)

Hey, Blue-san. You hadn't been here before?

Red told me about it, but it was hard to get down here without any light, before.

[Blue glances over all the food just... sitting out there, like it had just been made. Is it really still fresh and okay to eat...? He reaches for one of the slices of tuna sitting on the counter- still cool to the touch, like it had just been sliced.]

[Weird.]

[He pops it into his mouth and chews thoughtfully, then makes a delighted sound.] Oh, I haven't had a good piece of sushi in ages! [Satisfied, he takes another piece from the revolving counter and sets it on the plate conveniently placed out at his, and each stool.] Really hits the spot. Sure hope there's more of this, somewhere....

(Ren had already been here, thanks to the Protagonist Spirit and Akechi finding him - a torch lighting his way. It wasn't doing much, though, so the world helping out was better... Helped him feel more comfortable in the bathhouse, at least.

... How does Blue know sushi without Japan in his reality, though, Ren wonders...)

The fridge at the bar is stocked. I have been making curry.

[Look it's totally Japan, Gamefreak is just being coy about fantasy geography names!!]

Mmm, for now, right? But it's not like we have a grocery store or anything.

[Or. You know. A network of supplies and goods and food production, and....]

[Blue hasn't thought that far, but he's at least thought about it enough to start trying to gather more 'renewable' foods for them to snack on when they're out and about. For the Pokémon trainers, that was perhaps a more normal consideration...]

Oh, sounds good! I'll have to swing by and try some of Ren-chan's curry.

[Blue winks as he stands, strolling behind the booth to check the fridge in the back, full of drinks. Plenty of beers, luckily- Blue grabs a couple, setting them on the counter.] Just the thing! I was getting thirsty, too.

We already have a bar, a cafe, apartments, and now a bathhouse. Seems like it should be coming soon.

(Ren basically forgot he was eating now that he had Eevee around. Does Eevee eat human food? He won't offer to him without asking Blue, but... Has he experienced hunger as well? Poor cute thing. Thin fingers are very busy right now to care for reaching for the sushi! Pokémon will be the death of Ren...)

Welcome to.

(The gaze behind the glasses follow Blue, his head tilting a little. Guess it's fair, it's been very boring overall. Again, what's so interesting about alcohol, anyways?)

Is that even good?

Edited 2020-08-20 23:54 (UTC)

You think someone's adding this stuff on purpose?

[Blue stops, and blinks at Ren. If so, then he couldn't imagine it was a legendary Pokémon; they probably wouldn't have enough of a concept of human civilization to do something like that.]

[Eevee hops up on the counter next to Ren, rather than his lap. No offense, Ren, but he's no lapdog! ...Unless you're a cute girl, or Blue. He'll totally take some sushi, though, please and thank you.]

[Blue cracks the first beer open and brings it to his lips, glancing to Ren as he stares. Ah, of course any schoolkid would be curious....] Mmmm... [He glances to the beer, thinking on it.] It's easy to drink. I prefer mixed drinks, usually-- if I'm drinkin'-drinkin'-- but if it's just to wash down with food, or if there's nothing else, a beer is fine.

[Blue pushes the other one towards him.] You wanna try it? One beer's basically water, tch, even a kid like you should be able to handle it fine.

I don't think it's impossible.

(Considering what he went through, that is. But when looking at it, there's really nothing to back up his claim, they just have to wait and keep digging until something worth challenging comes into light.

What's 'drinking drinking'? Is there a difference between just drinking... Ohya, the very much booze loving journalist who gave him intel comes to mind. Maybe that's the state he means?

Ren takes the can into his hands, staring at it for a few seconds... There's no law, not much to do and it would be quite a lie if he said he wasn't curious about how alcohol impairs you. Would he still be able to fight? Finally, he makes the decision and opens it. If anything, they can move somewhere safe where Ren doesn't have to worry about those things.)

Fine, let's see.

(The bitter taste brings a face to Ren's expression, but... It wasn't so bad?)

[Blue doesn't really like that idea, he thinks. He thinks he likes better the organic, natural concept of the world populating itself with what it thought they need. It felt nurturing in a way deliberate control didn't- that felt a little nefarious. A little human.]

[When Blue went off to school on his own, he was suddenly thrust into a world he hadn't realized he'd been missing. 'Normal' socialization, getting along with your schoolmates, navigating teen social circles and the norms and exploration of growing up........ It had all been a torrid affair he tried not to look back on too much, but all in all, he thinks it had been pretty normal, and he thinks less strange of it than he does all his life up to that point.]

[Highschool kids tried stuff out. That was just the way it was, right?]

[He laughs a little at the face Ren makes, and gives him a soft, backhand smack on the upper arm.] The first taste is weird, right? But you get used to it.

(To be fair, Ren isn't fond of this. The lack of sleep, the overpowering hunger, the ever-growing boredom that is taking over him, the fact that it is so rampant that it forces him to deal with things he much rather not to, which comes right with the fact that he is much required back in his home reality.

It isn't all bad, though. Had it not been for the Void, he wouldn't have met Blue and everyone else he now considers friends. He grins at the thought, but it was quickly broken by Blue's slap. His own laugh followed Blue's and he shrugged a little. His cat would absolutely kill him right now...!

It's with boldness that he gulps next, shaking his head to halt the goosebump the taste brought.)

I've worked at a bar before, but same Heavenly Blanc rules.

(No shit this is his first drink. Nobody is surprised.)

The heck do they got kids working at a bar for if they can't even have the fun of it? How lame!

[Blue laughs it off, and takes another sip of his own drink. The food was surprisingly delicious for ...random food that had appeared out of nowhere in the void, in the basement of a cave, with no one around to cook it! Blue just hopes it doesn't end up being a weird illusion caused by a trickster Pokémon.]

How's things going, anyway? I almost never see you outside the bar these days, but I guess even you wanna eat somewhere else sometimes, huh?

( If anything, Crossroads paid very well and it opened several doors for him to improve certain parts of himself through conversations with patrons. Drinking for Ren wasn't an option back home, not only his cat would disapprove (?) but also, the last thing he needed was issues with law-enforcement, should he be caught. Finally, it just wasn't something that crossed his mind too often?

Here, it is a different story. No probation and a dragging boredom and a never-ending curiosity in the way things work. Can they really get drunk or is it truly subjective? How impared would he turn out to be? Won't have answers if he doesn't try it, right?)

Everything's fine. (Nope, but there's no change in Ren to bring out suspicion, anyway.)

It's important to keep busy here. There's a lot going on and nothing at the same time.

(That being said, he takes another sip. He should be halfway through the can as of now, still not exactly feeling it - or recognizing it.)

Edited 2020-08-31 17:33 (UTC)

...Yeah, [Blue agrees thoughtfully, fidgeting with his drink. It felt like everything was one long, dream-like series of events, with no sleep, no days and nights, no knowing how the time was passing or how long they'd been here. Anyone would start to get uneasy, and try to occupy themselves to take their mind off it.]

[Blue feels surprised he hasn't broken down a little more, just by virtue of his own crappy brain running circles around itself. But somehow, maybe all the mysteries of this place had kept it busy, even when he had no Pokémon or other pasttimes to occupy it.]

Heh, a drink now and then sure helps, though! [He tilts his towards Ren, like a little 'cheers!', and sips. Uh, Blue maybe had one a little more than 'now and then'.]

...Speaking of a lot goin' on, how's things with Akechi-kun, huh? [Blue elbows Ren playfully, grin brimming wider.] He's kinda the hot-and-cold type, huh? Heheh. I get that a lot, too. So that's your type.....

Too bad you're just a schoolkid, though...

[.....There's a lot to unpack here, but, also a lot of assumptions... Blue sips his drink again, an oblivious agent of chaos.]

(With one of his hands currently too busy petting Eevee and giving it the softest pets behind the ear while the other held the beer in place, fit on his kneecap, Ren took a moment to think. One problem at a time, as per usual... The most immediate concern is escaping the void, surely... But there aren't any clues that point to that even being possible.

And then Blue speaks the second Ren was about to take another gulp.

Look! Another very important and rather unescapable issue he has to deal with. The beer gets stuck in his throat and all the muscles in his body freeze before he made an effort to down it, a series of coughs following.)

I beg your pardon?

(The question comes in a hoarse voice, as he attempts to breathe again after this near death occasion. Time to grab another can and down at least a third of it before Blue explains the very obvious.)

[Blue watches Ren choke and cough on his sip with an impassive expression of knowing amusement, and waits for an answer..........]

[But it doesn't come. Instead, now Ren is trying to drown himself. Yikes, now there's an answer.]

Hey... slow down, kiddo, [Blue nervously laughs, reaching for the can to stop Ren from suddenly drinking himself into a stupor- as relatable as that was.] Sheesh, sorry, sorry for asking!

That bad, huh? [Blue pulls the can away from him and sets it on his other side, Eevee hopping up with a pitying sound as he watches Ren gasp for air. Great, another human kid trying to drink himself to death on his watch.] Don't worry, you can tell big bro Blue~ So, start at the beginning, what happened?

(Well, if he didn't feel it before he definitely feels it now, that the panic that installed in his brain made everything a little clearer. Ren's definitely a bit more dizzy than he antecipated earlier and there was quite the delay in seeing Blue's hand reaching for his beer, something that he would have seen miles away...

There's no way he's weak in alcohol tolerance, right? He must have drank it wrong. Or the void tampered with it. It's fine. This is fine.)

Huh?

(At the beginning? Like, as in when Akechi outed himself as a Metaverse user and they had to do a dance of lies for months? Or the beginning of where they are now, dealing with things that were buried and repressed for who knows how long? Or the beginning of the mess Ren put them, when he just lost his patience and kissed the one person who attempted to kill him twice?

Or even, the beginning of Ren's current crisis - not knowing what goes inside Akechi's head.

Ren sighs, not even able to formulate an answer for the time being. Should just let him have the beer, Blue.)

It's just very complicated. You and Red are rivals, are you not? You can categorize us under that as well.

[Oops. It hit him, huh? Blue puts a steadying hand on Ren's shoulder as he sways, chuckling quietly as he watches the kid adjust to his first experience with drunkenness.]

[Sheesh, he should probably keep an eye on him for a little while, after this....]

[Luckily, he's very patient with Ren's response time. Obviously, things were... complicated. And no better is that proven than by Ren's response when it does come.]

[Blue makes a face, sort of like he's been personally attacked, but he manages to keep it mostly subtle.]

Ah.......... So it is like that, huh.

[Well then. If he knows what he's working with....... Ren had reminded him of Red, in various ways... He didn't really know Akechi like that, but if he looked at it in a certain lens- if Ren himself was telling him that he and Akechi were like that, then certain things also become clearer. Behaviors. Motivations.]

[The way Akechi scoffed, the way he responded when Blue asked about Ren (or, you know, called him his boyfriend). The denial. In a way, he could see his younger self, in that.... refusing to see what was really going on, wrapped up in all those twisted little feelings.]

[Blue leans back in his seat and hums loudly in thought.] A long time ago, I would have rather faced a whole laundry list of other problems before I'd admit I cared about Red anymore...... Ah, well. But, kids are like that, huh? It's hard to have any perspective in the moment. You get all wrapped up in what you're feeling, when you can't see any bigger picture.

[Blue stares up at the lanterns and lights strung around Wall Market, a pensive expression on his face.] Let's forget about what he might feel, at the moment. What about you?

Wait.

(Loading, loading. Loading?? Goddamnit, alcohol makes him so slow, he notices. The one bit that called his attention - "I cared about Red"?

Ren squints for a second and while he's not consciously doing it, it is a clear opportunity to flip the conversation. Give his brain more time to process whatever it is that he would like to share, if anything at all. He's not great at talking, much less about his feelings.)

Do you like Red?

Nice try, [Blue grins, a little playfully. Obviously, his senses weren't dulled enough.]

[He leans forward, chin in hand on the counter.]

That's a story for another time. We're talking about you and Akechi-kun.

Right? We can't make guesses about someone else..... That's a waste of time. [So Blue has learned. You know. That's why he wants to know so badly....] So let's think about it from what we do know.

...And maybe I'll tell you some of what you wanna hear. After.

(Seriously, Blue? Blue, seriously?

He's greeted with such a glare, mostly because Ren wants to know now. Curiosity killed the cat and there's not much Ren can do aside bite at this point.)

Fine.

(As if Ren's voice wasn't low-toned enough, it comes out almost thundering with how much he hates that he couldn't switch the subject back.)

... What exactly do you want to know?

(Navigate him, Blue, he has no clue where to start when talking about these things. "Your feelings" is too vague!)

[Blue, smugly, knows exactly what bait he's tossing here..... It's irresistible, isn't it? Huh, Ren?]

[That's what you get for being a cat person.]

Oooh, spicy. [Blue's brows waggle. That was interesting.... He hasn't seen Ren get quite so... competitive like that, before. He sees what Akechi likes, for sure.]

Well? Do you like him, or not? I'm assuming that's a big fat 'yes', but... [Being rivals alone doesn't make it quite so..... messy. There's always something else.] What kind of 'complications'? Bad blood, or something?

(As per always, Ren just thinks Blue is joking, even more so thanks to the buzz. Sorry, too dumb!)

Wouldn't have kissed him if I didn't.

(Maybe that piece of information can redirect the conversation from the why they're complicated. No amount of alcohol in the world could make him talk about the reasons why this is such a problem...)

Edited 2020-09-06 04:30 (UTC)

[Let him. It's for the best. Especially because--]

Oh!

[Blue slaps Ren on the back, hard, and jovial, grinning widely as he sits up again.]

Congrats, Ren-chan, you Rockruff you! ...Well, everyone starts somewhere, right? Even if you've only had your first kiss when you're almost outta highschool.

[It's. fine. What is Blue saying here? Probably best not to ask. As for redirection, it isn't quite going to work.... But--]

And? Did he kiss back and accept your confession? [Cuz, you know, he's assuming a kiss is about as good as a confession of interest, right!? It only makes sense!]

... Blue. I'm from a small country town in a very conservative country. It's really not that bad.

(That and well. He was very busy REFORMING SOCIETY. There were much more important things at stake than that!!

Thank God for alcohol, because if it weren't for that, Ren would not even have given that piece of information to begin with.)

He kissed me back, shoved me and said he was not interested.

Sure, sure. [Dismissively, waving his hand- ah, but that..... sounds about right. Not a great reaction, but....] So he's that type after all...

[Blue chuckles, chin back to leaning in his hand.]

It gets me kinda nostalgic, almost! I probably woulda done the same thing, back then. The push and pull of what you want, versus what you think you should want.....

It's real vexing.

[Blue sighs.] ....You wanted to know some stuff, right? Me and Red grew up together, since we were babies, basically. Ah, but things weren't always rosy, even though we were pretty inseparable as little kids....

[His mouth twists, and his expression becomes something else, less joking and easygoing like usual, and more... exhausted, somehow.]

When you start getting to that age when you're in a hurry to grow up, nothing seems simple anymore, right? Ah, well maybe not for everyone. I bet you weren't the type to wanna look all impressive and stuff.

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p5 spoilers!

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icon chose to perfection

smirking cat dot jpg

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