[video / action for lavender town + a closed section for elsa]

[meteorman]

[Lavender town may be mostly fashion and radio now in the place where it isn't still stubbornly ghosts, but Ford has managed to find a tiny gaming shop tucked in among the boutiques. That's the background of this post: stacks of dice and cards and boxed sets of all sorts of different games, some themed around Pokémon and some (a much smaller amount) not.]

Hello, all! I have a proposition for you. Back in my day I used to be quite the gamer, and I've discovered that several of the popular ones in this world are similar to the kind I'm familiar with. It may take work to arrange, but would anyone be interested in setting up a session of Mysteries and Dungeons? It's a game of adventure and chance, where each player creates a Pokémon character to--

[There is a distinct crash from behind him. He turns and so does the camera to reveal a Sableye standing among a knocked-over display of plastic dice cases.]

Polly -- Polly!

[The Sableye does not respond. Instead she picks up one of the cases of plastic dice and clicks her teeth thoughtfully.]

Polymethyl Methacrylate! [That gets her attention. She looks up. Twitches her head slightly to the side. And then quick as a flash she uncaps the case of dice and upends the whole thing into her mouth. The video goes very shaky for a few seconds, clicks off, and then clicks on again after some time has passed (if anyone is in the area, they are welcome to try and help him corral his idiot ghost daughter). Polly the Sableye is now tucked securely under one of his arms, wriggling ineffectually.]

Anyway. I would be happy to discuss the logistics of arranging a campaign, or methods for teaching one's Sableye what is and is not appropriate for a snack.

[He had to pay for those dice, and the three other cases she ate before he managed to get a hold of her.]

✦✦✦
[Much later, after the Unfortunate Dice Incident, Ford has made his way back to the bed and breakfast he and Elsa are staying in. Normally he would have just camped, or perhaps stayed at the local Pokémon Center, but Lavender is a town he's never been to which means a longer stay. And with a traveling companion who is a Queen he feels a little more obligated to do basic things like sleep in a bed.

At least the bed and breakfast has a large garden as part of the property, perfect for Pokémon who are guests to stretch their legs. There's also a tiny bench for trainers to sit on in among the plants, near a very obviously man-made miniature pond (someone's Goldeen is in there, having a nice nap beneath the lilypads).

Ford emerges from the back door, carrying two mugs of tea, and walks over to the bench. The Cubone Elsa recently picked up is tumbling around on the grass with Ford's newly-rescued Golett. It's play-fighting at the moment, though he's been warned that Josef has some anger issues after being abandoned and he's on the lookout for escalation.]

Here you are.

Comments

Video;

[schachmeister]

[Guess who already has the Mysteries and Dungeons corebook? It is this guy. Because you gave it to him.]

Could we play? I've been reading the book you got me, but I'm not sure if I understand it all yet.

[meteorman]

[Look, he knows there are ways that he and Armin are kindred spirits, and being huge goddamn nerds who like to make spreadsheets is one of them.]

Of course. Even if you're the only person interested, I've run two-player campaigns before.

[schachmeister]

I wasn't sure if you could do that.

[Run a two-player campaign, that is. The core book bases everything on the assumption of there being a small group of people to play.]

If we're going to play, is there anything I should prepare beforehand?

video;

[notvaljean]

Armin has a book about that.

[One that Jean can't make heads or tails of. He's going to need some selling if he's going to get onboard this adventure.]

[meteorman]

I gave it to him.

[Nerds enabling nerds!]

It's one of many books in the set, technically, but the core book is all you need to play.

[notvaljean]

[Of course he did.]

I don't understand how you can play a game just using a book.

Video

[tookashirototheknee]

[Matt's beaming on the gear.]

Hell yes, I am so in.

I wanted to get a game of something similar to that going at the Garrison when I was in school. You'd think space and science nerds would have more creativity. But the pilots thought it was dumb.

[meteorman]

You know, many of the people in my dorm in college felt the same way? I don't see what's dumb about a game that requires critical thinking skills, some degree of proficiency in mathematics and a certain level of creativity. If anything it's a good mental workout.

[Also it's just fun??? Dang, y'all. You can roll some dice and smooch a centaur what's the issue]

< video >

[guiltyeyes]

REALLY?

Oh, memememeeee!!

Mari loves games! Fantasy ones sound pretty fun!

[meteorman]

[Oh hey it's the girl he taught about Pokémon periodicals, who did that great act with her star buddy.]

You'd be playing a bard, I'm guessing?

Video

[haveyouseenalittlegirl]

Mysteries and Dungeons ....that sounds a lot like Dungeons and Dragons.

[You have caught the attention of another nerd.]

I haven't played a game like that in ages....I'd love to have a go at it again.

[meteorman]

It's certainly a lot like Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons. I've found it's not unusual for the same thing to exist across multiple realities with minor changes, if any at all. Did you know that Smash Mouth is a universal constant?

[It tickles him pink that that's a thing, at least in the universes he's visited.]

Video

[2hellwiththe1stlaw]

HELL YEAH!

Count me in Grandpa! I've been playing Bunkers and Badasses since I was in grade school!

...mostly online because I couldn't get any of my classmates to try it but whatever.

[meteorman]

[That's another on the ever-growing list of names of tabletop games he doesn't recognize but is now pretty interested in.]

I had the same problem! Many of my past games involved me playing dungeon master for my roommate in a two-player game because no one else would agree to play with us. I can't imagine why.

[ Video ]

[rambling_runner]

I think I've heard of that kind of game, but I don't actually know what it's like. It sounds cool though!

[ Teach him about tabletop RPGS! ]

[meteorman]

[Well if you talked to the people he went to college with it wasn't 'cool', but fuck Backupsmore, they didn't know what was good anyway.]

It's not that difficult to pick up, provided you have a head for numbers.

video;

[bertall]

_{[Look at this weird cotton candy dog, Ford. Look at it.]}

I'm not sure if I'd be any good at it, but um... About the Sableye eating things, you could try redirecting her to something better? Or putting something really gross on stuff you don't want her to eat.

[meteorman]

[IT'S A SOFT BORKER]

That's... hm. I know there are certain sprays used to discourage animals from chewing on things you would prefer they not chew on, but I wouldn't want to play with sticky dice.

[Difficult...]

[tearsofademon]

A game, huh? I think I've heard of that one once or twice in passing, but I'm not sure what it's about.

[...granted, part of this is to appease Rose, who is trying to get him to actually socialize goddammit, but his inner nerd is admittedly a little curious .-.]

[frozenfractalsallaround]

[What a week. Elsa is feeling pretty on top of the world. Her contest victory would have been good enough to raise her spirits, but then she went and took on Bugsy and Whitney and got those badges. That makes three!!

She's also coming to terms quickly with not having her little baby Vulpix and instead a fully grown, majestic Ninetales. She and Skadi are a good pair now. Strong, confident women who can take on the world. That's how Elsa feels and it's good. When has life ever been this good for her?

And she's traveling with Ford! Her favorite person (next to Anna of course). What more could she want?

It had only taken a little convincing to be talked into trying this tea. It sounds... interesting, and why close herself off to a new experience. It won't beat her, she can beat it.

Elsa turns her attention from her newly adopted Cubone (how cow could she not?? he's so adorable. and he has a tragic backstory, which is relatable. Right how he's being a Good Boy and offering Golett his bone to play with) and looks up at Ford. She smiles, reaching out to take the teacup gently.]

Thank you!

[She scoots over to allow Ford a little more room and lets out a soft, contented sigh.]

It really is lovely here, isn't it?

[The entire atmosphere of Lavender town is... it's very calming for her. A sense of vague sadness lingers in the air and Elsa resonates with that. In a way it reminds her of how she felt up in the mountains, alone in her ice castle. It's that vague sense of nostalgia. She feels at peace here.

It's only gonna get more intense once she sips this tea.]

[meteorman]

It's much nicer than many of the places I've stayed when traveling.

[Definitely nicer than space jail. Or hollow asteroids. Or the M dimension. There is a sort of age and nostalgia here even with the recent economic boom, though maybe it's easier to find in this little garden than it would be in the shopping district. Ford's always been a little more partial to the sea but there is something to be said for dense greenery, and he has reasons to be fond of that too.]

Not that I dislike camping, but there's an argument to be made for actual beds. And kitchen access. I could have made this over a campfire but a stove was simpler.

[Josef takes the bone in his weird blocky hands, turns it around a few times, and bops his new Cubone friend delicately on the nose with it.]

video;

[shiro2hero]

Are they... supposed to eat plastic?

[meteorman]

They absolutely are not. I tried to tempt her with a nice piece of quartz I found in Mount Moon, but she was wholly disinterested.

[Sensing she is being talked about, Polymethyl Methacrylate wiggles with even more vehemence and reaches toward the camera with her grabbin' hands. HI SHIRO HI WHO ARE YOU NEW FRIEND--

Ford lifts the gear out of her reach with a sigh.]

[Video]

[findingbeasts]

Mysteries and Dunge--

[Nope. NOPE.

Who said you could talk, Newt?

The wizard's face is shoved to the side by a clawed hand earning a strangled sounding "Niffler!" from him as the Sableye responsible shoves her face in front of the 'gear. Her mouth is split into a wide grin as her opal eyes gleam in delight.

Look at her precious child!]

Niffler there is no--will you please move?

[Excuse him while he attempts to get the Sableye off his shoulder and fails rather miserably.]

[meteorman]

[Polly wriggles with renewed vigor. Look at her, mom! She's doing so good wreaking havoc and eating other peoples' property!]

Ah -- that would be the mother of this little gremlin, I assume?