I KNOW I'M GONNA BE OKAY

[maskormods]

WHO: YOU.
WHERE: Heropa, De Chima, Nonah, and Maurtia Falls!
WHEN: Friday, July 10th, all day.
WHAT: Block parties!
WARNINGS: None anticipated; let us know if this should be edited.

Welcome one and all to the imPort cities' first ever neighbourhood block party! The streets of imPort housing have been shut off to free up the streets for some socialization, with plenty of tables and chairs to go around and a modest banner proclaiming: WELCOME NEW IMPORTS. Provided are two large barbecues, and enough food to feed even the most voracious appetites of all varieties - vegetables and tofu for the vegetarians, hamburgers and hot dogs for the meat eaters, and plenty of ingredients for imPorts to rustle up whatever sides they wish to make - but this time, imPorts are in charge of cooking for themselves. While the government may have funded this event, they are treating it as a largely hands-off affair; the government's watchful eye isn't present, save for an unattended table full of welcome brochures.

There is no monetary compensation for their work, but free food and drink is incentive for old imPorts to get to work in welcoming the newest among their numbers, and start to foster a sense of community between themselves and their neighbours. This event has been organized by house number, but there certainly aren't any rules against going from block party to block party to see who's available, and where.

And what of the imPorts that have been placed in individual housing or apartment buildings? Not to worry! Advertisements have been slipped into mailboxes and stapled to community bulletin boards to make sure that they're aware of the upcoming event, and they are encouraged to attend the block party closest to them.

Fire up those grills and enjoy, imPorts... and why not be a good neighbour and help answer a few questions?

Comments

Tetsuo Shima |#005| OTA

[iamtetsuo]

[By the time Tetsuo manages to end up where he was supposed to head to all along, his headache's back and his patience is gone. He looks about half ready to tear into the next person he comes across, right up until he rounds the corner and is confronted with the last thing he'd expect to find.

He fixes the banners, food, decorations and general festivities with a blank stare, looking from one end to the other, seeking some clue for what he's supposed to make of all this.

You'd think he'd never seen an actual party before. You'd be right.]

[flamingshortshorts]

[Toro had been coming out of his own house, and even steps around the other guy he sees standing them in the middle of the sidewalk. He does look back at him though, wondering why he isn't moving.]

Hey, pal, what's the matter? You new to the parties they throw around here?

[iamtetsuo]

[That's not a party. There's not nearly enough things on fire. And way too much of this looks legal.]

Is this some kinda joke?

[flamingshortshorts]

[Toro turns to face him more fully, raising an eyebrow.] I think they're probably trying to make everyone be friends and keep an eye on each other, but not really a joke.

[iamtetsuo]

'Be friends', huh? Yeah, right.

[He already HAD friends, dammit!

Despite his suspicion, he can't really help his gaze wandering back towards the food again. It's been a while since he last ate anything, and that shows.]

They just want us to play along, is that it?

[flamingshortshorts]

You could say that. [Toro is pretty sure this is a new person.] It's not so bad, considering. The food's not poisoned or nothing like that, but they do like to make it seem like everything's peachier than it really is. Did ya just get in today?

[iamtetsuo]

Yeah. I'm not planning on staying here.

[flamingshortshorts]

Huh? Where you trying to go? It's kind of hard to do anything around here if you're not registered and don't have any money. They don't make it easy to run off. [Which is him being honest but also trying to warn this guy about what he may be looking forward to if he does make a run for it.]

[iamtetsuo]

[He's gonna trust you on the not poisoned thing. Mostly because food sounds really good right about now.]

Somewhere. I don't know.

[flamingshortshorts]

[This guy seems pretty confused, so Toro's a bit worried about him. Not enough people stepping in to look out for the newbies today.] If ya don't know, then maybe stick around a bit? Easier to make a plan on a full stomach.

[iamtetsuo]

[The most annoying thing about that is that Tetsuo can't find fault in that logic, and he wants to.]

Then what? You gonna tell me to sign up, too?

[flamingshortshorts]

If you don't want to, why should you? [He had taken some time to debate doing it himself so he can't blame anyone else for being unsure about it.] It's a little easier if you do, but nobody should be telling anybody what to do. Enlisting ain't that easy.

You don't even have to worry about it right now. Swear-in's not today so just enjoy the food.

[iamtetsuo]

[All Toro's efforts earn him an even more confused scowl. Whatever answer he was expecting, that was not it.]

Hasn't stopped anyone yet.

[Angrily bites down into his prize]

[thelimitdoesnotexist]

[Something moves fast through the night, with an ignorance of what was going on at first. Out in the edge of the neighborhood there were plenty of corners which one could observe the festivities. Mewtwo had chosen to perch on a second floor balcony of an ignored building. No party goers seemed to have gone there yet.

So strange to see them all happy. They had been stolen away just like him, but they let their joy make them forget. Humans seemed blessed with too much sometimes. It's why he needs to keep an eye on them. ]

[iamtetsuo]

[Not all seem to be happy.

Specifically, that one on the outskirts of the whole thing that suddenly cries out, clutching at his head, slowly backing up into an alley doesn't seem to be having a good time.]

[thelimitdoesnotexist]

[By all means Mewtwo should run and not look back. But one party guest looks like they're in pain. Images of the Tyranitar swept away in the landslide flash in his mind. It was like watching that again.

By all means, he wouldn't interfere. He'd rather just get a closer look and see the human creature doesn't die.

How does this work? He focuses as his human illusion gains form. The new power wasn't too different from the ability of Zoroark. That way he can float down into the party nearby and look like a human milling about.]

[iamtetsuo]

[Tetsuo, at the least, isn't paying much attention. He's not even sure when he ended up against a wall. There was probably a chain of events that led to that. Who cares.

He curses under his breath, shakily rifling through his pockets. He JUST stole something for this, so where was it and why wasn't it helping?

It's been a fun day: meandering the city and doing his best to avoid dealing with the situation at hand.]

[thelimitdoesnotexist]

[Thank goodness for that, except for the fact Tetsuo has some kind of intensity about him, something a telekinetic like him can't ignore.

Mewtwo feels something like...it's not pity, but more like empathy. You can't watch someone go through visible agony without feeling something.

He weighs the risk feels sure that at the very least he can send a short psychic message and get away.

< Go get help. > There, perfect.]

[iamtetsuo]

[Tetsuo had just managed to get his hands on the container when he felt something in his head. This time, it wasn't completely out of the blue. He'd heard things in his head before - but this one felt different, somehow. He couldn't place why through the wall of pain.

What he DID know, though, was that suddenly he was absolutely certain there was something behind him. There had to be. He didn't know why he knew, and he wasn't even about to question it. Whirling around was out of the question; the most he could get his body to do was half-turn against the wall and scan the area.]

[thelimitdoesnotexist]

[He'd panic and fly away had he been in his Pokemon, but he remembered he had had his human disguise.

Instead he leans back and does his best to look nonchalant and part of the crowd as possible. Humans loved hanging out, didn't they?]

[iamtetsuo]

[Wild eyes scan the crowd beyond the alley. It's there. It's there and he knows it.]

Where are you...?

[thelimitdoesnotexist]

[He knows that leaving or moving would give him away. All that Mewtwo can do is generally mill about, avoiding looking at him in any way.]

[iamtetsuo]

[Time passes. That's about all that happens. The thing doesn't reappear, or show back up in his head.

Was it his imagination, or was that really there? He's so sure it was. Augh.

At the least, the lull's enough time to actually remind him to take one of those painkillers instead of holding them out like an idiot.]

[thelimitdoesnotexist]

[Eventually time passes and Mewtwo gains the bravery to follow, even pass by him.

He takes one moment to look back as he does before gaining a lead on the human.]

[iamtetsuo]

[This leads to backing even further away from the party, but not too far - just enough that he can get his bearings again where no one sees. Eventually, he reemerges - still not entirely steady on his feet, but capable of being reliably upright enough to resume wandering.

He doesn't seem to have a clue where he actually wants to go; this is aimlessly milling around time.]