meteorman | (no subject)

[A Gallade trying to do the double guns is... it's very good. He likes Blue already.]

Ah! The one that doesn't mimic a Pikachu, correct? [He is Very into that. Between Blue being a rare color variant and that, he has a feeling he's going to like Shiro's Pokémon. They're weird. That's good.]

[Welcome to the bizarre adventure that is knowing Blue the Gallade, Ford.]

That's her. She dresses like a Haunter, for now. We're kind of curious to see if she'll change to a Gengar, later.

[You know, like her parent. Who is temporarily resting while Shiro casually tosses up the correct ball -- releasing the purple-clad Mimikyu.]

Ford, this is "Hauntercheeks."

[She named herself, also like her parent.]

[Ford's just gonna straight-up crouch down on his haunches so he can see her a little better. She's very small, after all, and he's very tall.]

That's a very impressive costume, Hauntercheeks.

[He says the name like it's not weird at all. Which is to say, it is weird and that's his bread and butter.]

[The little ghost chirps. Proudly. And spins around. Her parents made it for her!! It's so spooky! She's just as spooky as they are. And way better than those lame Pikachus.]

She likes you. She takes after Haunter like that.

[And no, it's not weird either. He has a Voltorb named Banana after all.]

[She's perfect.]

It really is incredible to me that I can now reliably make good first impressions.

[He straightens up again.]

I don't suppose either of you are hungry? I know a good fight can work up an appetite.

I don't think you can make a bad impression on her. She knows Blue, after all.

[And in his opinion, Blue is... a lot more than Ford.]

If it's not green goo? I'm in. You know anywhere?

[Green goo...? You know what, no, he won't ask. The answer probably boils down to 'weird space shit', like most things with them.]

How do you feel about ramen? There's a little place not far from here you might like.

[He'd never had ramen before stopping in there, but he can appreciate an entire meal in one bowl on a deep intuitive level. That's nice and efficient. Not as efficient as a nutrient pill you pop before getting back to running for your life on an unfamiliar planet, but he doesn't need to be quite that efficient anymore.]

[It's literally like Ford just said "hey do you want your old arm and also your old hair back?"]

[He just grins. And goes to heft up Hauntercheeks, despite her being a tiny, almost weightless little ghost.]

I'm in. Lead on, Ford.

[TIME TO EAT HIS WEIGHT IN NOODLES.]

[This is going incredibly well. Look at him, having nice day trips with friends like a normal person! Who'd have thought.

The restaurant in question is tiny, not quite a hole in the wall but maybe only one or two steps above. There's only room for a bar and a single line of tables. It's cozy. Charming. And apparently Ford has been here enough times to be a regular, because when he walks in the woman behind the counter and the Braixen beside her both wave in greeting. This, too, is something novel for him and part of why he likes this place so much.]

Hello, Marsha. Foxfire. [He glances sideways at Shiro.] Bar or table?

[Bar is closer to alcohol, which is ideal.]

[This is ... this is actually a lot better than he was expecting. Because he'd just been thinking he'd battle, check on Jean, and head home. Not this. Not normal things human beings do.]

[He's been here a year now, and it's still novel to him.]

[Cheeks is chattering happily, darting back and forth across his shoulders as they walk in. And he's still beaming. This place is adorable. The whole setup is so familiar, so much like Earth... like before...]

How about bar? I'm old enough for it now. It's a novel concept.

[... technically he has been able to for like 5 years now but still, let him be goofy.]

[Oh, right, right. Drinking age. That's... what? Twenty-one in this universe? Probably. It's hard to keep that sort of thing straight, especially when you're old enough that nobody cards you unless they're making a bad joke.]

Bar it is, then.

[He's even got a seat that's 'his', more or less. On the end closest to the door, because old habits die hard and it's difficult to not position himself near exits when he can. You know. Just in case.]

It's a good thing you're old enough. They have an excellent alcohol selection.

[Not that the selection is particularly big, just like the menu isn't particularly big. This is one of those places that does a select couple of things and does them very well.]

I'd like the usual, Marsha. [Can you believe this. He has a usual. He has been settled somewhere long enough to have a usual.]

[He hasn't had a drink since... well. The day they announced the Kerberos mission. That's got to have been more than a year ago now. More like two. But he slides into the space near Ford, leaning his elbows on the counter.]

[Cheeks hops up next to him, watching the business behind the counter with interest.]

Would you believe me if I said I haven't touched alcohol in years?

[Partly because space. But also partly because losing control of his sensibilities is slightly less appealing. Since it happened so often against his will back in his world...]

I'll do the same, please?

[Polite as usual, the big dumb dorito.]

[Cheeks is perfect and precious.]

I would, and I'd pity you. A stiff drink can work wonders.

[That definitely wasn't water in that flask he shared with Stan when they thought one or both of them might be dead in the next couple hours. You can't fool us, Disney.]

It's never too late to make up for lost time, though! I'll be sure to cut you off before you hit the 'bad tattoo decisions' threshold. I can spot that from a mile away now.

[She is also playing with some chopstick wrappers.]

There just wasn't time, really. And then... space happened.

[Which is saying a lot. A whole lot in just two words. Sure there was space booze, but when you're running a team of teens, you gotta stay solid.]

This is the part where I admit I don't even know if I can handle drinks anymore.

[Ford now regrets very deeply that much of the time of his life that can be summarized as 'space happened' he spent totally alone, but at the time it was very badass and romantic to sit alone in the back of a dingy space bar slowly getting drunk. It was like being space Strider only no hobbits ever showed up and also he was never actually that cool.]

You do have the luxury of not being in a warzone at present. If you happen to become intoxicated it won't be a matter of life and death.

[This would probably be a weird reassurance to jump to, if it were anyone but them at this ramen bar.]

You just won't want to take any of the Pokécenter warps immediately.

[He should hate how much sense that makes. He should be arguing against this. Because he's the Kerberos Pilot. He's supposed to be The Leader. The one everyone looks up to for some reason -- the one people keep putting on pedestals. He's supposed to be The Black Paladin, and uphold some kind of legacy he doesn't understand. Supposed to live up to an example he's never met.]

[But he's not that, to Ford. Is he?]

Let's go with the ramen first. And go from there?

[It's definitely not a "no".]

Edited 2018-04-05 05:21 (UTC)

[Look, Ford isn't great at reading subtle interpersonal messages, but he's also not the kind of asshole who'd push someone to drink. He doesn't see the need. It's up to Shiro; he doesn't care either way, really. He's still just high on the luxury of being comfortable anywhere for the first time in thirty years, and he lets himself indulge in that. He can, because he isn't Stanford Pines, the man on a quest to save the universe and get revenge. He's just Stanford Pines, a hero's brother, trying to remember what it's like to not be driven by saving the universe and getting revenge.]

Fair enough! The day's still young. You'll probably want your wits about you if Morty decides he wants a rematch.

[Y'know, since Shiro totally trounced him and all.]

That was a bold strategy, by the way. Ghost against Ghost.

Edited 2018-04-05 06:58 (UTC)

[As far as he's concerned, Ford hasn't pushed anything. Unless you count sitting at the bar. But that's fine. It really is a luxury. This whole place is. It's like a chance at a normal life -- the kind of chance he and the others missed out on.]

[So maybe the older man is right. Maybe... it's okay.]

Has any Gym Leader ever done that before?

[It seems Unlikely. But he grins as he asks it.]

Someone told me it worked. Plus, Haunter and Cheeks know a couple Dark type attacks. We were counting on Haunter's hypnosis being stronger and -- what do you know?

We were right.

You certainly were! I respect any man who takes a gamble and is able to make it pay off. [He couldn't care as much about Stan as he does and not respect a good gamble.] As for rematches-- not that I've heard of, though I wouldn't rule it out. You should have seen how Clair reacted when I beat her.

[And he thought he got kind of intense about winning, sometimes. Yikes.]

Though I imagine rematches are possible. I certainly plan to return to Kanto for another round againt Misty eventually.

[Ford you already beat Misty Ford you don't need to do this Ford what did we just say about getting intense about winning FORD]

Which one is Clair again? I think the next on our list is Jasmine...? Whichever one is in Olivine.

[Come to think of it, he could just swing by the gym before he hits up the Sevii Ferry. But -- he'd promised the others he wouldn't be gone so long.]

I haven't been to Kanto at all yet. What's it like? And Misty, for that matter.

[Hey maybe they have a score to settle, he doesn't know.]

Functionally it's not much different from Johto. A little older, I think, but there's very little culture shock. Misty just has the honor of being the only gym leader it took me two tries to beat -- until Morty, that is, but the jump in difficulty from a Regular to Elite challenge explains that.

[And he tends toward Psychic types, and Ghosts of his own. He had needed to restructure a little before he could take down all six of Morty's Pokémon.]

Jasmine is next on my list as well, if you wanted to make the trip together at some point.

[FIGHT FRIENDS FIGHT FRIENDS FIGHT FRIENDS]

Good to know. I'll keep that in mind if I ever end up heading that way... eventually. There's -- a lot of things keeping me here. Good things. But still. [He pushes a hand through his hair, toying with a bit of napkin so Cheeks can bat at it with her ghostly hand.] Is the change to Elite that much more difficult?

[It'd be good to know for the future. In case he decides to pursue it.]

Hey -- I'm not opposed. I'll give you the head's up next time I'm off to see Olivine?

Please do. Much as I'm used to traveling alone, I've found it's much more enjoyable with a companion or two. It also makes practice easier. I'll be facing six Pokémon at maximum level: that's what an Elite team is. As many Pokémon as possible, at the highest strength possible.

[If anything he seems pretty into the idea. It's a better test of his strength and strategy. There's a reason a lot of his Regular gym challenges involved purposefully hobbling himself to make them a challenge at all.

Unrelated to any of that, the ramen is here and it looks delicious. The little fishcakes are shaped like Poliwag. Precious.]

We wouldn't mind practice. I've got to get the team all figured out, anyway. A few of them are maximum level, but not all of them.

[Kuro, Red and Haunter are definitely all at max. But the rest, not so much. And he's curious to see a maximum leveled Spheal battling in these Elite Fights.]

[But then there's Ramen.]

[And.]

[Brace yourself, Ford. The boy is built like a brick wall and eats like a football player.]

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i love how this whole thread is just 'two dads get excited about mundane things'

TWO OLD MEN GET HAPPY OVER NOODLES

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