barring emergencies

[the_very_best]

Bella's not sure where she has wandered. She thought she was about to walk into a shop, but this appears to be an unattended bar. With none of the windows associated with the shop she thought she was entering. It could be an elaborate psychic assault of some kind, but it doesn't feel very... assault-y... and she was in the middle of a town and doesn't think any humans want to sic their 'mon on her. It's strange. She approaches the bar, looking around warily, hand hovering near her belt.

with Max (Benedict)

with Earth and Lightning (kappa)

with Ann and Sabrina (kuuskytkolme)

Comments

[the_very_best]

"Maybe. I have no idea what it is. It looks like a bar, but..." She shrugs, and sits on a barstool.

It is a bar, agrees a napkin.

"Whoa!"

[pythbox]

Earth lets go of Lightning and walks closer to study the napkin.

"That's unexpected," he observes mildly.

[the_very_best]

"A bit, yeah. Uh, hi?"

Hello. I'm the bar. First drink is free, says a new napkin.

"Uh... nice."

[pythbox]

"Does that apply to us, too?" asks Earth.

[the_very_best]

Of course.

"How about my 'mon?"

I don't see why not.

[pythbox]

"Lightning," says Earth, "the nice talking bar is offering us a free drink each."

"Huh," says Lightning. "Isn't that nice of it. What's the catch?"

[the_very_best]

I'm a she, napkins the bar. No catch.

"I'll take a, hmmm, an aspear slush for me and," she lets out a small dark 'mon with yellow markings, "Dusk likes aguav juice."

She gets two drinks.

Dusk laps up about half of his, and then is distracted by the elementals. He hops off his barstool and goes up to Earth, ears and nose and tail all twitching.

"You can pet him if you like, Dusk's friendly."

[pythbox]

"Hello," says Earth, leaning down to pet the creature. His leaves rustle.

[the_very_best]

"Umbrrrr," says Dusk. He puts his forepaws on Earth's knee as though considering trying to climb him. He is soft.

[pythbox]

Pet pet pet. (Earth is very gentle.)

[the_very_best]

"Do you want to see the others?"

[pythbox]

"I don't know," says Earth, smiling. "Do they want to see me?"

[the_very_best]

"Of mine, Fireflower's the least friendly, and you've seen her. They wouldn't all fit in here if it were crowded, but it's not." And she releases her Pidgeot, Sawsbuck, Mienshao, and Linoone. "Rachis, Branch, Juu, and Zag," she says, scooping up the latter into her lap. "Maybe don't try to pet Rachis. Zag'll have a sweet egg milk," she tells Bar. Zag seems very excited about the phrase 'sweet egg milk'.

[pythbox]

Lightning spreads his crackling wings and backs away a few steps when there begin to be more creatures present. Earth continues to pet the Umbreon.

[the_very_best]

Zag drinks his sweet egg milk. Dusk gets tired of being petted and finishes his juice. Branch looks around confusedly. Juu starts preening Rachis's feathers. Rachis seems to find Lightning intimidating, which Zag notices when he's done with his beverage and has slid out of his trainer's lap; he gets between the bird and the elementals and throws tiny little sparks of his own, chattering.

[pythbox]

Lightning makes what in context can probably be assumed to be a rude gesture in Zag's direction. Earth gives him a mildly reproving look.

[the_very_best]

"Rachis is flying-type and they're vulnerable to electric attacks," explains the trainer, hopping off her barstool to pet her bird. "Hey, pretty girl, he doesn't wanna hurt you. You wanna go back?"

"Pidge," says the 'mon.

The girl interprets this as a yes and puts her back in her ball.

[pythbox]

"Nor could he have hurt her if he wanted to," says Earth.

"You shut up," says Lightning.

[the_very_best]

"No? You aren't as lightningy as you look?"

[pythbox]

Lightning makes a rude gesture at Earth, who ignores it.

"We're magically prevented from causing harm to most things," Earth explains.

[the_very_best]

"Oh. Huh. ...Uh, why?"

[pythbox]

"It's standard practice, when humans are dealing with elementals, to magically prevent us from doing anything they might not like us to."

[the_very_best]

"That... sounds... very carefully phrased?"

[pythbox]

"Does it?" He shrugs. "I'm not used to having to explain this, and it's hard to find the right words."

"So don't bother," suggests Lightning.

[the_very_best]

The girl puts Branch and Juu away and picks up Zag again and sits back down. "All the explanations that are coming to mind are literally from fantasy books, I don't know how to interpret what you're saying or if it'd offend you if I guessed wrong."