[ open mingle log ] birthday boy boltund

[dunchies]

WHO: Laios and friends, old and new
WHAT: A belated birthday dinner, mixed with a housewarming and welcome party
WHEN: Evening of December 1st
WHERE: Laios’s mid-tier house
WARNINGS: Pokémon as food, alcohol mention



a. appetizers

[ Look closely at the quest board lately, and you might find a posting that doesn't quite belong. A flyer, handmade yet carefully crafted, with an important announcement: Please join us for a special dinner! All are welcome!

There's a hastily made correction too, scratching off the November 26th date for December 1st. With the snowstorm and influx of newcomers, changes had to be made. No matter. The party must go on. Just be sure to follow the directions when that new date finally arrives, up the Canopy toward the far corner of the mid-tier housing. You'll eventually find a humbly decorated abode, warmly lit with candles and all manner of foods to try. There's plenty of options to choose from, ranging from soups to skewers, with respect to the various opinions on dietary choices around here.

Then, of course, front and center, are the meals made with special thanks to their contributors. Feel free to taste test them with your fellow party-goers, or perhaps ask your host what exactly might be in this thing. ]

b. entrees

[ Later into the party, you might be interested in starting up a few games to pass the time. There's always those sleepover classics, or maybe one of the board games Laios borrowed from the Archives. Both seem to be all the rage these days. The birthday boy seems plenty excited to join in for either!

For non-game enthusiasts, you're more than welcome to a slice of cheesecake — pumpkin or Pumpkaboo flavor, courtesy of the resident pirate chef Sanji. Now might even be a good time to get Laios to finally open that present you brought, after bringing it all this way. ]

c. desserts

[ It’s a bit later in the evening when Ribombee makes his brief appearance. He doesn’t have much time to stay and chat with the other guests — always a busy bee, he is — but he does manage to pull Laios outside to talk for a time. One could only imagine the birthday wishes being given to one of the guild leader's most special of boys.

Not long after arriving, Ribombee flutters off yet again, leaving behind a gift basket of fancy bottles and cheeses. Laios simply sits at the edge of the platform, staring into the distance, until the bug is finally out of view. All alone now, he lowers his head. Maybe it's time to bring him back in before it gets too cold. ]

Oh! [ Whether he knows you well or not, he puts on a smile for whoever might approach. ] S-sorry, I got a little distracted.

[ If you’re old enough, he might motion toward the basket, offering: ] Want to try some? I don’t really like to drink alone.

[ If you’re younger, or just not inclined toward alcohol, he’ll instead say: ] It’s a nice night, right? I never realized how bright the stars can get.

d. snacks

( ooc: your classic wildcard option. note that along with the meals made for the player quest, you can assume there's more standard options too, with and without meat. all prompts are open to play around with, so feel free to mingle and mix it up too. happy to toss laios at anything! )

Comments

[dunchies]

[ There's a flicker of something in his expression at the mention of Ribombee. ] Heh, yeah. Maybe. [ But he's quick to move on. ]

... Thanks, Parvati. For coming and getting all those Tatsugiri too. [ He smiles softly at her before pulling out one of the bottles. ] That recipe reminded me of one from my hometown, but I never had it with fish before!

[ From the recipe to the way she's speaking about the night sky, he has to guess she must be missing her home on some level. Though, as much as he also misses plenty, his childhood village isn't really one of them. He motions toward the bottle with a tilt of his head. ]

Shuckles fermented berries with their juice for this one. You can try a sip first. See if you actually like it.

[edgewater]

[ she takes it, uncorking it with minimal effort. she seems surprised by that. ] Thanks. I didn't even think about that. It's Junlei -- my girlfriend's -- favourite, figured you'd like it because it's got stuff you'd like in it.

[ parvati raises the bottle to her lips, takes a swig, and immediately pulls a face. ]

Oh, Law. I dunno what I expected. [ still, she chuckles. ] That's bad, wow. [ she sticks her tongue out. blehhhhh. ] See, this is why you can't be out here by yourself.

[dunchies]

Heh. It's funny. Sanji and I were hoping to try Tatsugiri one day actually. [ Apologies to the one they recruited months ago. Anyway! ] But, uh. Your girlfriend she must... she must come from a similar place as me.

[ His smile turns strained. As much as he doesn't want to think about home, especially not right now, he can't help it. Good thing the sound of Parvati trying the wine snaps him back out of it. ]

No way! Not even a little sweet? Their juice must be pungent... [ Now he has to know. He sets down one of the cups from the basket near her, hoping for pour. ] Maybe I should've offered the honey mead first?

[edgewater]

Oh, no. I just don't like how alcohol tastes, at all. Overpowers everything so I can't taste anything else. You gotta tell me how you think it tastes.

[ parvati pours some of the wine into laios' cup. ] I thought maybe it'd taste better here because it's not mostly artificial. Guess not. [ a dry, embarrassed chuckle. ]

[dunchies]

At least you tried it! That's all I can ask for.

[ He leans a bit to take a sip, only to pause just before he does. Curiously, he cocks his head at her. ]

... Artificial? [ His first thought is magic paint, but. ] What do you mean?

[edgewater]

A lot of what's in Halcyon ain't, uh. "Real food", so to speak. [ how to put this. ] Still not really used to the stuff here, if I'm honest.

[ she lets out a dry chuckle. ] Yeah, I was brave about it. You seem like the kinda person I could be drunk around without it getting awkward. [ she's just not going to elaborate on that. ]

[dunchies]

[ ... That doesn't really help with his confusion. In fact, it might have made it even worse. ]

I'm glad you think so. I know some things aren't everyone's favorite, but... [ He's speaking genuinely, while also being completely distracted. ] Could... could we go back to what you were saying before? How can you survive off food if it isn't real?

[edgewater]

Oh. I worded that funny. My bad.

[ she has to think about it for a moment, absently kicking her legs in thought. ] It's real in the sense that you can touch it, and eat it, and get... something, out of it. Not nutrients. [ if laios were to ever see her human, he'd definitely clock her as very underweight almost immediately. ] Most of it's engineered stuff, meant to last a long time. Alien foodstuffs we messed with without understanding it, packed so full of salt and preservatives that it don't taste like much. I'd never eaten a vegetable before coming here.

[dunchies]

[ Laios just stares blankly at her for a minute, letting himself process what she's telling him. He's not even going to think about what engineered and alien could mean in the context of food. ]

Parvati, that sounds terrible. [ No nutrients. Doesn't even taste like much. What exactly is the point then. ] ... How was eating a vegetable for the first time like? [ It's a good thing he's not Senshi. That dwarf would have had a stroke hearing all this. ]

[edgewater]

Pretty good, all things considered. Although, it was Flowey.

[ every subsequent offer of food has been an attempt to kill her. no more spicy food please she will die. ] The ones at the party are also pretty good. Still... getting used to it all, though.

[dunchies]

[ No inmediate comment on the mention of Flowey, but his expression noticeably deadens at hearing the Sunkern's name. ]

Yeah, Sanji's a great chef. All the ingredients were good too, even if I'm a little surprised people are still bothered by the non-meat options just because they came from Pokémon.

[ He can't win with any of you people. ]

... I'm glad you don't have to eat fake food anymore though. That's... not a great way to live, if I can be honest.

[edgewater]

Heh. That's what we were trying to fix, back home. My Captain was so shocked when they found out we don't have vegetables, let me tell you.

[ she glances back at the stars forlornly. ] I dunno, I feel like people'd get weird about milk if regular cows could talk too. Well, maybe not where I live. That'd be part of the gimmick somehow.

[ woolly cow meat was also, like. rich people food. she'd tried it on eridanos and that was probably the closest she'd ever gotten to the real deal before arriving here. ]

You're real passionate about the food thing, huh?

[dunchies]

But wouldn't that be a good thing? You can ask them all about it, and they can even consent to what they give away too...

[ Wasn't that everyone's whole argument against hunting? Humans will find any reason to have hang-ups about what they eat. He sighs, obviously frustrated. ]

Food is important, but a lot of people here would rather restrict themselves than admit they have a new body with new needs. It's a privilege they take for granted. It's hard for me not to be a little bothered.

[edgewater]

Well, I never had access to this sort of stuff. So it'd be bad if I was.

[ not that she isn't a little fussy. anything spicy is still a no-go, but in her defence stuff like that literally doesn't exist in space. at all. even the chili is mild. ]

Well, if you have any leftovers from here just gimme a call.

[ she's taken a slice of bread and is munching as she talks. ]

[dunchies]

You get it more than most people do.

[ Even if that thinking might just be a product of her environment back home, he appreciates not being alone in that sentiment. ]

... But, yeah. I will. It probably won't be good for me to eat all of it by myself.

[ As much as he could without thinking twice about it, funky appetite and all. ]

[edgewater]

It'd suck if you got sick from all the good food.

[ and a real shame for everyone. sharing and less sickness, please! ]

How's the drink? [ she leans forward a little, curious. he'd be able to better appreciate the flavour if nothing else. ]