LOVE IS A BURNING THING / AND IT MAKES A FIERY RING

[maskormods]

WHO: imPorts!
WHERE: De Chima Expo Hall
WHEN: July 13, from 6 PM to midnight!
WHAT: Swearing in in motion! The local tech giants honour De Chima's new imPort ambassador with roombas, games, and hoverboards galore - but a couple of clones decide it's their time to interfere. Oh, my!
WARNINGS: Fire, and violence! If this needs to be updated, please let us know.

Welcome to the technological capitol of, if not the United States, then at least the cities that imPorts live and have a real say in. The city government and local tech companies have teamed up in celebration of the election of the newest Ambassador, Sam Merlotte. While Heaven Scent, a recently noisier biotech company than most, is somewhat conspicuously absent from those in attendance, the rest of De Chima has turned out with bells on. Or, in honor of the new ambassador, dog whistles on. No disrespect meant; it's all in good fun for honoring the newest player in the city's fluorishing political scene! This Swear-In, like many others, is filled with luxury, pomp and circumstance with finely dressed waiters weaving in and out through the crowds carrying free cocktails (virgin and alcoholic alike!) and finger foods (is that caviar? what's in that puff pastry? oh, what is that mysterious meat onna stick?) that imPorts can pick at throughout the night, either standing around the hall, exiting out to the lovely porch decked out with tables, chairs and fairy lights galore, or at the long, wooden tables. Do be careful, though, because not all of the grub on-hand is safe - Veronica is manning a slushie stand that will be laced with laxatives and sleeping pills, oh my!

For those wanting to make this party a little more lively, there's a large, hardwood dance floor ready and waiting for those inclined to get their boogie on, and a robot-manned string quartet in the back playing lively music - although if you approach them with a request, they may be able to dig around in their memory banks for something a little less genteel. The other half of the hall, however, has turned into a tech expo, and boy, is it ever busy! There are representatives from every corner of the tech industry, from the newest in VR gaming to a state-of-the-art fridge to the newest in hovercars to candy manufacturers selling gum that they claim can grant temporary x-ray vision (the veracity of this claim is, unfortunately, a little suspect). Some of the stalls imPorts may be keen on is the roomba stall, which has embraced the art of illegal roomba fights to a moral legal source; these roombas have been made into little death machines, and they encourage imPorts to gamble on which one will win - with all proceeds going to charity, of course! If that wasn't enough for you, they also have the capability of traveling along the walls and along the ceilings - the usefulness of this is dubious, but it's awfully fun to watch the display!

Or perhaps you'd like to engage in some VR gaming, in which imPorts are put into a closed off maze with padded walls and floors, given lightweight plastic guns, and are set loose into a world of adventure. This is, essentially, a glorified game of laser tag, but with a twist - while they'll be able to see other imPorts perfectly, they'll see their surroundings either as a space military base, an arid rainforest surrounding Aztec ruins, the tombs of an pyramid or a base in Anarctica, complete with special effects - if it rains in the game, a machine spitting out water will turn on, if they're in the desert, they'll be surrounded by heat lamps, and they've got one hell of a snow machine!

Or perhaps you'd like to take a peek at the stunt course set up for the newest and coolest in hoverboard technology! Hoverboards have been around for a while, but until this point, kick flips and tricks have been limited, with the boards quickly spinning out of control once they gain a little air. But with these new calibrations, there's a whole new world out there for all resident sk8er bois! ImPorts can nab a hoverboard and try their hand at the ramps and half-tubes erected - and if they manage to beat the high score (each trick is assigned points!), they're given a hoverboard of their very own! And while the stall doesn't encourage people taking off with hoverboards to whiz across the entire hall with like an asshole, well, they're not going to stop them. Don those cool guy shades and get hopping, imPorts!

Close to 10 PM, a small crowd with less enthusiastic reactions to the import celebrities begin to gather. They aren't let inside the building - the state of the art security systems and local police force protecting De Chima see to that. However anyone looking outside the windows may see the occasional anti-imPort sign, questioning why a group that routinely causes so much damage in the community should be allowed an elected advocate, particularly with, they claim, the erratic behaviour exhibited by them in the past weeks. They're easy to ignore, but some of the local business will start inviting groups of imPorts to exit the reception hall and come take after-hours, behind the scenes tours of their manufacturing plants and R&D departments to distract them from all this unpleasantness. Alienating people from worlds full of potentially shareable new technologies isn't great for business, after all! Other imPorts may decide to steer clear of this crowd and leave altogether, which is for the best. As things begin to feel a little tense, you may want to watch out - one Jon Snow may decide to start a brawl!

Those that stay until 11 PM are in for a whole different world of trouble, however. At this time the protesters, already nearly impossible to hear over the music and chatter, fall totally silent. There are fewer and fewer waiters present, booths are left unattended and the various staff members are absent from their posts. All in all, about half the natives present have trickled out of the festivities in the last hour. Their whereabouts become suddenly apparent as the main doors to the hall burst open, revealing the lot of them, many carrying make-shift weapons (no guns that can be seen, but candlesticks, table legs, and even inappropriately wielded Roombas can be seen). At the head of them stands a blond man in a black jacket who surveys the room in silence for a long moment before speaking in an impossibly loud voice. "You who mingle, who stand and accept these wretched creatures as equals. You are not worthy of our new world." He raises a hand and, originating from his fingers, thick smoke-like clouds begin to fill the room. At this signal, the natives rush forward from behind, attacking anyone and everything they can, imPort and native alike, with a blind, senseless zeal. No amount of talking to them can shake them from their rage - only knocking them unconscious will stop their assault. As this happens, a large flaming creature soars a circle around the room before flying towards the ceiling, lighting curtains, tables, display stands, and, yes, tragically the glasses of booze along with any person that doesn't dodge in on fire as it swirls about the entire hall. With a mighty crash, it hits the ceiling, setting fire to a large portion of it. Anyone waiting for sprinklers or the sound of sirens is going to be sorely disappointed. No water falls and no natives not currently in the building are coming to their aid. And what of the blond man? Why, he seems to have simply disappeared!

So much for unity.

Comments

Bela Talbot | Open!

[cleptes]

Note: I'll match your style. Prose or action!

Refreshments and mingling:

Ooh, free cocktails. 'Don't mind if I do' Bela thinks as she lifts a strawberry daiquiri from a passing waiter and takes a sip from it, a look of bliss forming on her face. Now that was a good daiquiri. She mostly picks at the food, selecting a few of the puff pastry things and canapés, hoping that no crumbs would fall onto her beautiful, fitted dress. In-between eating and drinking (maybe four cocktails by now?) Bela touches up her make-up using her compact mirror - who knows, there could be a few photographers around.

"Lovely evening, isn't it?" Said to no one in particular. Just a typical thing to mention when one was at a party and trying to make conservation. Another favourite was "All this excitement buzzing around our new Ambassador. Do you know him?" Bela did. She liked Sam. Thought he was charming and handsome, with a kind of sweetness about him.

When her feet get tired from walking around in gorgeous yet killer heels she moves to sit down outside on the porch, choosing a seat which would give her the best view to people watch, and spot anyone who may catch her interest. Bela places down her cocktail on a side table and rubs at her calves, slipping off one shoe to knead at the ball of her foot for a few moments to ease her discomfort.

After taking some time to rest Bela can be found on the dance floor making a few moves. She's probably better at a traditional waltz but Bela isn't going to let that hold her back from having a good time.


10.05pm:

Murmuring amongst the imPorts draws Bela's attention away from the festivities as she looks outside the windows. The placards and the people holding them don't look like imPorts. Interesting. She didn't think that the natives had such an anti-imPort agenda; perhaps it was only a small group and nothing else. Bela wasn't too worried though, considering the security and staff that were there to protect them.

"They mustn't have anything better to do tonight." She comments dryly to the person standing next to her, sipping from her drink. "I feel bad for them though. I wonder what we did to stir up their ire against us?"


11.00pm:

Shit.

All Bela can think about is the need to get out of here now before things took a turn for the worst. The natives looked like they were out for blood and yet they did not move. She breathes out, slowly making her way back towards the wall behind her and leans against it to collect herself. The man in black begins to speak and she half-listens, half-waits to see what would happen when he was finished. As soon as the natives charge forward Bela looks for a way out, keeping to her side of the room and as far away from them as possible.

She spies a candlestick on a table nearby and picks it up, holding it firmly between her hands. It might not be a firearm but she's going to use it as a weapon if necessary. Which is probably more likely now, given the circumstances.

Just then, the feeling of extreme heat prickles at her skin. Above her, a curtain was on fire. Bela dives out of the way onto the ground and crawls away, keeping her head low to the ground. She can hear something crack, glancing up to see a part of the ceiling alight; the longer it burned, the higher chance that it would come crashing down around them. Bela discards the candlestick and continues to crawl until she finds a break in the crowd, getting to her feet.

Plan A was to get out of here. Plan B was to stick to the shadows and use her oh so useful ability to be camouflaged by them. Bela can only go with Plan B for now.

((ooc: Wildcard! Something not fit? Comment with a prompt below))

11:00pm

[d33tached]

[Well. D33 certainly wasn't expecting all of this to happen when he convinced himself to leave the house earlier this evening. He'd attended with the intention of gathering information, as well as with the intention on slipping out quietly and peacefully - but, apparently that isn't in the cards tonight.

[Somewhat luckily for him, D33 had already been "sticking to the shadows" when the doors busted open. He is not so much camouflaged by them as he is quite literally a part of them at this point, but either way, he knows that with the flames quickly rising throughout the room, it won't matter for long how hidden he might be.

[As he notices a woman slip into the darkness beside him (making a quiet mental note of the apparent similarity in their powers), he advertises his thought out loud.]

We can't stay here forever.

[His voice is surprisingly calm - if you could see his face it would only appear to be a little more concerned. But, though he may not show it, something about the fire, in particular, isn't sitting well with him. Fighting his way out of the room he could likely handle - burning to death is a different story.]

((Ooc: Just let me know if any of this needs to be changed or adjusted in any way!))

Major Lilywhite | iZombie | OTA!

[majorlyugh]

[VR, duh!]

Major has no idea what to expect with this whole ... swearing-in ceremony. He hasn't really talked to many of the others on the network about the event, but he figures he'll check it out regardless. Maybe it's like an expo or a comic con sort of deal; at least, that's what he's hoping.

He loitered around the outside of the .. strange roomba fights (is that what people around here do for fun?) but a minute or two, but eventually found himself a little weirded out by the idea and went to find something else - namely, VR gaming. He watches a few of the matches through the televised screens before deciding, wholeheartedly, to sign himself up. He wishes, more than anything, that Ravi could be here to see it; he knows that, no matter how much he might appreciated and enjoy the set up and experience, Ravi would be crapping himself with glee.

As he waits in the line to get into the area, he can't help but bounce on his feet a little.

"This is awesome, I've never tried anything like this before," he casually mentions to the person closest to him.

[Hoverboards, double duh!]

Okay. This is just unfair. All of this amazing technology and no Ravi to appreciate it? He wonders vaguely whether this would be considered too athletic or too much like a sport for Ravi to really enjoy it, but decides that, given his friend's absence, he'll have to do it and enjoy it for the both of them. Not like that's all that difficult to do, given how amazing the hoverboards are!

His first few goes of it are a little awkward, but Major's an athlete by nature. He gets the hang of it in no time and even attempts some tricks, bent on earning himself one of these things to take back to his place - both for the fact that he'll be making this his primary mode of transportation if he does and on the off-chance that Ravi does show up someday.

[23:00]

Major somehow missed the events that transpired only an hour earlier, but it's as he's trying to leave the place that .. he gets that weird, wrenching feeling in his gut. It leaks to the skin at the back of his neck where his hair stands up and a distinct shiver shoots its way down his spine.

As the chaos begins to unfold, Major's Full-On Zombie Mode activates to keep him alive and safe. Luckily, there's enough of his "regular human" brain still intact to keep him from attacking anyone who isn't a native bent on destruction, but the sight of a guy with red eyes, pale skin, and purple veins might be a bit jarring to those around him.

Hoverboards

[namesaquestion]

Hmph. You call that doing tricks?

[Niko's already earned his own, but he's back to play on the pipes and tubes, happily showing off what he can do.

It's not that impressive, but he's smug about it. It's also one of the few he's mastered right now.]

Blue | Registered | OTA

[halloflamer]

[Mingling]

Blue hadn't been to a party like this since the last time he was on the S.S. Anne, but the digs were pretty nice, he had to say! He has his Pokémon safely in their Pokéballs earlier in the party, having finally learned that a bit of discretionary caution was better ever since he'd been yelled out of enough places for bringing his giant monster pets in. A little later on though, Arcanine can be seen padding after him through the crowds, looking confused and excited all at once, and snacking down on little meat appetizers that Blue passes to him. Spoiled rotten, that giant dog.

Cocktail in one hand (yes he was old enough to drink, thank you very much), he swipes snacks from passing waiters and is ready to talk the ear off about his Pokémon (and himself) to anyone that'll listen.

[11PM]

"H-Huh!?" Blue has no idea what the nutty blond guy is going on about, or all the commotion with the fighting. But as soon as he sees that fiery creature swooping overhead, he has the opposite reaction that most people probably should have- he grins. "Well look at that! And they said there were no Pokémon in this region." Okay: obviously that was a Fire-type, and that meant...

"Gyarados, let's go!" Blue shouts, reaching into his bag and whipping out one of his Pokéballs. Out of it explodes the enormous serpentine Pokémon with a ferocious roar, as large as the flaming creature itself.

Getting kind of crowded in this room now, isn't it? (--And hey, where is that music coming from...?)

[ooc; if interacting with Blue for the first time, drop a post in his permissions? thanks!]

11

[lempereur]

Not one, but two giant snake monsters? There's no time to wish the other Phantom Thieves were here, he has to stay on guard himself and find out what is going on here.

"What is that thing?"

He swoops over towards Blue, one hand on the hilt of his sword, cold eyes cast up toward Gyarados.

D33 | Unsettled | OTA

[d33tached]

Unintentional Drinking - early in the evening

[D33 has been keeping mostly to himself since arriving. Not a particularly social person, his true intention in showing up at all was simply to gather some information - and boy if there was a lot to gather. Finding the excess of technology almost as overwhelming as it was fascinating, D33 has taken to wall-flowering off near the porch, quietly observing the conversations of those around him and occasionally accepting an offer of food from the various waiters and waitresses floating about. Most of it is unlike anything he's ever experienced before and, though he might not admit it, he finds the variety in food to be almost as interesting as anything else going on. He tries not to let that distract him, though.

[Then again, a simple drink shouldn't hurt. After all, plenty of those around him are accepting similar drinks, and they all seem to be fine. Of course, most of them have probably tasted alcohol before.

[D33, on the other hand, hasn't, and by the end of his second drink, he's beginning to feel a little strange.

[One might observe him muttering to himself in confusion, perhaps stumbling around a bit where he stands, and perhaps even spilling the rest of what's in his glass on an unlucky passerby.

[If only he'd known he would make a fool out of himself, he never would have shown up in the first place.]

11:00

[By this time, whatever small amount of intoxication D33 had been experiencing earlier in the evening has faded considerably - and even if it hadn't, angry mobs and gigantic fire monsters really tend to sober a person up.

[As capable as D33 is when it comes to combat, he is nowhere near foolish or prideful enough to think that he can take on an entire crowd of angry natives barreling toward him in a blind rage. Then again, with the fire quickly taking over the room, D33 also knows that he must find a way out - others, he's not so concerned for. Survive at all costs. That is D33's game.

[For now, he'll be slipping (quite literally) into the shadows, attempting to stay hidden for as long as he can as he moves closer toward the door. Of course, blazing fires aren't exactly hospitable to shadows and as they disappear, so will D33's cover and ability to move through them.

[Still, one might wonder: If D33 were to pass by someone clearly in need, would he truly leave them to die, or perhaps stop and try to help them if he felt it was within his capabilities? If someone were to see the man bouncing in and out of the shadows, would they reach out for him to help them in the first place?]

Wildcard

((Ooc: Leave any sort of started below or comment OOCly if you want a certain starter/prompt that isn't included in the above!))

Drinking

[alcheregis]

[ Haen's escaped out to the patio a few times throughout the evening, needing to take short breaks from the general busy chaos that accompanies all of these type of events. On her latest trip out for fresh air, she notes the young man seeming disoriented. Concerned, she goes to put her hand on his arm and ends up with a spill of drink down the front of her green dress. ]

Oh good guanines, are you all right, dear?

Yusuke Kitagawa | Registered | OTA

[lempereur]

1; spit you right out (out and about)

[ Yusuke doesn't want to be here. A tech expo isn't the sort of thing that would interest him normally, much less in the lingering state of self-loathing and apathy he has found himself in recently. He is strictly here to keep an eye out - bizarre happenings are common whenever a large number of imPorts are gathered, and with someone or something out there brewing mayhem with his face, with his own heart, he figures he has a better chance of figuring out what's going on here than he does wandering the streets at night and hoping he runs into something useful.

The free food helps. A boy can only neglect to take care of himself for so long before making off with an entire platter of pork skewers. Which are complementary, so don't judge him. He won't mind sharing, anyway, if you want to sit and watch the robot fights, or help him pretend to care about things video game company employees are probably supposed to. ]

2; i'm a rebel just for kicks (protesters)

[ It's getting late, and no major life threatening incidents so far. His time might have been better used today actively investigating, instead of waiting for something to happen, or at least in Nonah working on the mural. The artist turns to leave, bidding a good night to the friends he had come here with, before stopping in front of the window.

Protesters?

Yusuke watches with interest, a cold, squirming feeling settling inside him as they echo thoughts that he's been trying not to think too hard on, himself. He believes very strongly in the imPort community's potential to do good in this world, but that potential doesn't mean anything if only the bad seeds are willing to act. They're not wrong, out there. Rather than opening the window or attempting to engage, he pulls a sketchbook from his bag, and leans against the wall, penciling in a number of angry faces. Somebody approaches, and whoever it is, he has the same question. ]

What do you make of this?

3; watch me burn (fire snakes???)

[ He spoke too soon, clearly.

At the first sign of real trouble, Yusuke finds somewhere secluded to transform into Fox, secures the mask over his face, and springs into action with a floating nine foot samurai bandit in tow. Fox and Goemon both are happy for a constructive and challenging use of their powers, as happy as they can be despite having to deal with such a drama in the first place.

For a moment it might seem as if they've saved the day, by erecting large walls of ice around the entrance and stopped the flow of angry natives wielding blunt instruments with intent to kill. Before he can take a breath, a slithering monster made of fire shoots right through it, like a bullet through butter, and sprays fire so violently across the room that Yusuke's enhanced speed barely saves him. It can't save the tail dangling from a chain behind him, though, it's singed, putting the smell of burnt hair and a tingle of panic in his senses.

It just had to be fire. ]

4; wildcard

[ hmu bae ]

2

[dun_moch]

[Hey Yusuke it's that guy who recently had you torture someone. He's standing next to you with his arms folded and his chin lowered, glaring at the protestors outside as though he can disperse them with the sheer force of his will.]

It is to be expected. Great talent and exceptional abilities have always invited fear and envy. And our community has no shortage of enemies who wish to undermine us.

Manabu | OTA

[siriusly]

~9p

[he came to look for Hazel. it's been an...uncomfortably long time since he's seen or heard from her, and if there's been any chatter in her regard at all online, he's still not seen it (and honestly, scanning lines and lines of text is not his finest skill).

this swear-in feels at least a bit more on-key with what he's always expected these things to be, even if it's still more of a festival than formality in his eyes. here's an anxious, distracted Manabu, doing laps around the venue with his head on a swivel, eventually making enough passes of the same few tables that he retreats in frustration, outside for fresh air and a view of the security.

that's what's keeping him here: observing the police here, watching them interact with the people coming in and out--and those odd few who are denied entry...]


~10:30p
[his initial search is all but forgotten; he's still outside, watching the growing unrest with his own gnawing feeling in his gut to do something. but...what can he do? he can't just walk up to each individual and try to reason out why they're upset enough to picket.

I want to help. it's nagging and nagging at him. it's weird; back home where his badge actually means something to more than just himself, he barely balked before rushing headfirst into a situation, regulation be damned. but here? now? the only thing stopping him is the realization that...well.

no one has his back like they did in Sirius Platoon.

that frustration doesn't stop him from keeping careful eye on exiting ImPorts, ready to step in if he had to.]


11p
[many rush out, but Manabu goes in. this is no simulation or drill this time -- this heat is real, has real consequences...

all the more reason to get people out as fast as possible.

it's a noisy mess in here, so shouting out isn't going to do much but make things worse; instead, he throws tables out of the path of the doorways and ventures further into the exhibit hall, ducking smoke and straining to search out shapes in need of guidance.]

10:30

[alcheregis]

[ Someone else is hanging back and watching the protesters with basically the same thought train... was there a way to help these people that would actually be conducive right now? Haen looks over at Manabu and offers him a hesitant smile. ]

You couldn't ignore them either, could you?

Sabriel | Registered | OTA

[bindsthedead]

Refreshments, dancing

Given the recent actions of her doppelganger, Sabriel's not in the mood to even pretend she's here for much besides making sure nothing goes wrong. She's wearing her armor and surcoat, the dark blue silk helping her to look a little formal. She tries to smile sometimes, but mostly she's sipping nonalcoholic drinks and talking to people about recent occurrences.

"Have you seen anyone else acting strange- behaving in ways they normally wouldn't, dressing oddly- anything that struck you as wrong somehow?"

Dancing

Of course, there are a few times she feels like being slightly more relaxed- and she takes someone's hand leading them to the dance floor. It's open enough that there's less risk of getting trapped, at least.

"Have you had any experience with ballroom dancing? I promise it's more interesting than it sounds." She smiles, just a little.

11 pm

Anyone standing close enough might actually hear Sabriel swear when the flaming creature appears- this is not something she'd expected, and Sabriel finds her attention torn between trying to subdue angry locals who refuse to listen and putting out the fires.

"If you can't help with the fires, evacuate!" Sabriel's voice is as loud and composed before an angry local lurches out of the smoke, swinging a table leg. Sabriel grabs his weapon mid-swing, twisting it out of his grip before kicking him away. Normally she'd use a spell to incapacitate him, but should she leave people immobilized in a burning building?

"And don't hurt these people any more than necessary, I think something's been done to their minds!" While she does this she sketches out a spell and flings it at a patch of flame. She doubts she can stop this fire on her own, but the least she can do is help clear a path to the exits.

11

[halloflamer]

Huh? You're-- [Blue blinks in recognition as he spots his housemate nearby fighting a protestor, momentarily distracted from the water serpent he was directing in battle against the flames. He stares down at the spell she was casting.]

...Are you... a Psychic? [He asks, unsure, but instead something else pops into mind as he watches her fling the spell into the flames. No, she's not Psychic- she's Ghost and Dragon... Huh?? Why am I even thinking about that if she's not a trainer?]

[Shaking his head out, he throws another ball in her direction, a scruffy, enormous dog barking as it releases from the energy inside of it.] Here, Arcanine will help you get people out! It's immune to the flames.

(ooc; I assume they might have met by now? I'm gonna post a prompt for them in a backdated catchall soon, I meant to get one up sooner!)

Nikolai ('Silver') | Registered | OTA

[namesaquestion]

Mingling
[Once he'd done the whole Swearing In - Yes, he is a Hero, and he's going to stay one, if only because he likes the perks that come with it. That, and... he's not sure how well he'd survive on his own in this world - Nikolai was going to mingle, and do it with style.

Which includes a virgin cocktail or several, as he's not old enough to drink (though if he thinks he can get away with it, he will try to). And finger food. Lots of finger food, because he is a growing teenage boy, and his legs might as well be hollow.] This is good. Anyone figured out what's in these pastries?


Roombas fighting
[Of course he'd be attracted to the little death machine roombas, and of course he's gambling on them - like a Boss would, though he's probably betting a bit too much money on them. He's not yet fully accepted this world's cash doesn't work like his world's. But, whatever. It's fun, it's highly entertaining, and that's probably the closest thing to a real, excited smile anyone's seen on him.] They should make a show about them.


Hoverboards
[He's also going to be trying his hand at hoverboarding, and there is a look of determination and sheer single-mindedness when it comes to learning how to ride one. He's going to master it as best he can - and while he seems to take his falls with grace, there's a look of frustration and anger on his face.] Oh come on! How hard can this be?

[But, once he has mastered it, and gotten his own, he is going to be That Arsehole that whizzes around the hall on it. Never let it be said that he's not a little shit when it comes to showing off what he can do.

Plus. It's a flying skateboard and his theme song is playing - it seems slightly more obnoxious, too.]


11 pm. It's pokemon time!
[WHAT THE FUCK? That is the first reaction to the giant flaming snake thing. The second is to make sure his new hoverboard is tucked under his arm. He's not losing that, thanks.

His third is to call out his feraligatr and haunter, the two pokemon bursting out of the pokeballs and into the fray with a roar and an eerie sound, though they are clearly waiting for Niko's orders.] Water Gun. Start getting those fires out, now.

[Burning building is bad. Burning fire snake thing - is that even a pokemon??? - also bad. And he's in said building.] Keep them away from me.

[Natives of this world trying to attack him? Is also bad, and he doesn't need to be dodging them while he directs his water-type. As for keeping them away from its master, well, the gaint ghost is going to be picking them up and throwing them away.

Also, his theme song is playing yet again.]

11pm PLAYER 2 HAS ENTERED THE GAME

[h2no]

[haunter can't be expected to get all the people going for niko, especially when there's more than three of them.

archie may have treated niko very poorly, but he sure isn't cool with people trying to beat the kid up. he doesn't hesitate to bodily tackle a guy coming towards niko (practically frothing with anger about whatever these idiots are angy about) to the ground.]

Yo.

[HOW 2 MAKE AN ENTRANCE.]

Jean Grey | Registered

[jeaniegrey]

( MINGLE MINGLE )
[ This is... her second? Third swear-in now? It's a means to get herself out of the house and mingling with others and so Jean stands there on the porch with a drink in hand, admiring the fairy lights that are strung about. They make her smile, seeming so whimsical for something so simple but they somehow just add a touch of magic here and she finds herself wondering how the others back home would find this shindig to be.

When she's not on the porch, she's standing there near the edge of the dance floor and watching others mingle and dance- or try to dance, really. She's not about to get out there and bust a move herself and is really just watching how everyone else is.

And then comes the whole looking for something to snack on and getting a drink spilled on her by someone who's maybe had a little bit too much? Either way, she's off to the side now, a bunch of tissues in her hand and dabbing at the stain of blue bleeding into the white on her outfit in some attempt to try and clean it. ]

Great. How do you get this out?

[ Which is mostly mumbled to herself unless you happen to be nearby. ]


( VR GAMING )
[ This isn't exactly the arcade machines she's accustomed to feeding quarters every time a life is lost in game but it's still gaming and so of course Jean decides to give this thing a whirl. It's unlike anything she's ever really experienced (unless the Sentinels in the danger room count?) and soon enough, she finds herself wandering the tombs of a pyramid... which sort of makes her mutter a really? under her breath since, Apocalypse and all, yeah.

Still, she's in this to win (hopefully) and makes her way through the tombs, trying not to rely on her telepathy too much with where others are coming from and sidles up alongside a sarcophagus where she takes cover, hearing footsteps nearby.

Better duck because she's firing at you. ]


( 10 IN THE PM )
[ This isn't anything new to her and yet it still makes her feel saddened with the anti-imPort signs and chants from the protesters outside. She frowns, trying to reach out with her telepathy and see just what their reasoning is behind such strong emotions towards the imPorts and she finds herself frowning then. ]

Seems like even here you can still feel like an outcast.

10 pm.

[namesaquestion]

Hmph, Then they're dumb and stpid. It's not like we asked to be here.

[Niko, play nice with the telepath. Not that he's trying to understand why they wouldn't like imPorts. As far as he cares, being an imPort is not a choice he'd willing make.

This world, for all the cool things it has (like the hoverboard under his arm) is too different from his.] Are those signs even true?

Andrew Pulaski (Apollo) | OTA

[itssacrifice]

VR;

[Sociable as Andrew may be, he's not the type to spend the night standing by the punch bowl and participating in idle chit-chat over finger food. He doesn't care much about the newly elected (as long as he does right by the people) and gambling on Roombas just isn't his style. The VR though? It catches his interest almost immediately.

The weight of the plastic gun feels strange in his hands, as he usually has little use for guns, real or plastic. But somehow he doesn't think he'll be allowed to tag people out using his energy blasts, so. Plastic gun it is. Entering the room, his surroundings immediately shift to that of a rain forest, tall trees surrounding him while also providing excellent coverage.

He moves around the trees with surprising ease for a man as large as he. Besides, energy blasts or not, he still has an advantage of acute hearing. Hope you're not planning to sneak up on him.]

11pm;

[Once everything starts going to hell, Apollo throws himself into the fray, battling off the attacking natives for those who seem to be the most in need of help. He doesn't bother trying to talk to them, or reason with them. He's seen enough hatred in his life to know when words are wasted and this is one of those times. But he tries to keep his blows as gentle as he can as he knocks natives unconscious, not wanting to do any unnecessary damage.

The fire spreads with a speed that catches Andrew off guard. Fire. Great. Even if he wanted to use his solar blasts it would just make the whole situation worst. All he can do is use his speed, flight, and strength to rescue those who are too close to the spreading flames.]

We wouldn't happen to have anyone who can control water here, would we?

[It seems like such an unnecessary thing to say, but is far more polite than: all you water types get your asses in gear.]

wildcard;

[Hit me with something?}

11pm

[halloflamer]

[Water-types, you say?]

Yeah, you do! [Blue calls to the man, although he feels like he's hallucinating- this guy was flying. Okay. He gestures to Gyarados snapping overhead at the flame-snake as they twined around each other in battle.] I have my Water-type out right now, he'll help take care of this!

Just don't... fly in his way, or he might accidentally eat you!

[Of course, while Blue was busy directing his giant water serpent, it left him open to attack from those pesky mind-controlled natives- not that he'd really noticed, yet.]

archie / ota

[h2no]

dranks

[as usual, archie only turns up at the sign in for the party. or... well, party, more the alcohol.

...he wouldn't admit it, even under duress, he likes to make sure his import fans don't take anything too far. it may be a bit egotistical, but he's mildly terrified they'll find out about kyogre. not that he shies away from what he did, but the idea of seeing kyogre's image everywhere terrifies him. his own tattoo notwithstanding.

archie can be found sitting on a low wall on the outskirts of the sign-in, empty plate next to him and beer bottle in hand. he's people watching, enjoying the calm for now. not adverse to company, though not actively reaching out.]

11pm

Alright.

[a riot? okay.png. archie picks up the closest chair, smashing it over a table to get the leg off.]

The fuck you want, huh? [he asks the closest protestor.] You come near me and I'll break this thing over your goddamn head. I don't give a damn about your stupid boss and his shitty snake!

wildcard

[hit me!]

11pm

[halloflamer]

[Oh my Arceus, Archie]

[Quick as a flash (fire), Arcanine bounds in front of the chair-wielding pirate with a ferocious bark, baring its fangs at the protestors that were closing in on him. How about some Intimidate, assholes.]

[A few are unnerved enough not to move, but thanks mind control, many are still moving in, so Arcanine snaps his fangs at them, crackling with lightning in a menacing Thunder Fang.] Hey, idiot! [Blue calls over the flames from where he's commanding Gyarados against the fire-snake.] Hurry up and follow Arcanine out, already!

Melkor (Morgoth) | OTA

[belegurth]

mingling.

[None of the waiters had seemed willing to just let him have a bottle of whatever booze they were serving, the small glasses seemed like they would break in his large hands. He tossed an empty glass over his shoulder without looking back before taking two more glasses of some pink drink with umbrellas in them.

He may not be able to get drunk but he liked the taste. He had missed the food here, especially after centuries of eating orc cooking. Orcs were not good cooks.

The roombas attracted his attention at some point, they looked like metal versions of some of the creatures he had made. He wondered if he could make machines like those but he wouldn't know where to start. Still, it was something to explore.

Otherwise, he can found wandering around towering over most of the crowd, picking at food, sampling the slushies with no ill effects, and downing pink cocktails with umbrellas in them.]

11pm.

[Men could be so dramatic, almost as bad as Elves. Melkor finished his pink cocktail, tossing the glass aside without any concern. He wasn't worried when two natives rushed up to him and he reached out to pick both of them up easily. He could crush them, leaving them nothing but smears on the floor.

It was so tempting.

But, he also remembered what happened after his failed attack on Maurtia Falls. He needed his powers and he wasn't going to risk his plans being derailed over some angry mortals.

He didn't so much as flinch at the fire as he threw the mortals on the floor, perhaps a little rougher than necessary. ]

Tohru Adachi | OTA

[sleight_of_hand]

[ What is Self Control? ]
[ Originally, Adachi wasn't going to go to the Swear In. He wasn't exactly in a partying mood, and the fact that the person he voted for didn't get in for the second time in a row (though perhaps that was a good thing?) had him a little sour. Still, it was hard for him to deny the allure of free food and drink, and... so he went, occupying most of his time with said food. ]

[ Once he had his fill of food, however, he gravitates toward the alcohol... and after one glass, he debates a moment, before grabbing another... and another... and another... ]

[ It's been a rough couple of weeks. He's totally allowed to get smashed, right? ]

[ Party Animal ]
[ "Drunk" was a bit of an understatement by the time Adachi stumbled out onto the dance floor. He had already loosened his tie, and his eyes were scanning around the floor, looking for a familiar face. People were moving around and... and dancing! Yeah, dancing; he was supposed to be good at that, right? Viktor said so, so it had to be true. ]

[ It doesn't take him long at all to get touchy feely with whomever he can wrap his arms around, familiar face or not. The twelve glasses of alcohol he left behind on refreshment table had him feeling too good to care very much at the moment. ]

Heeeeeeeey~ Why don't you 'n me do some dancin', hunh? Pleaaaaaaase~?

[ 10 PM ]
[ Adachi was still red in the face by ten at night, but slowly starting to sober up, sipping away at a glass of water. He leaned up by a window, staring out at the protesters outside. Not that he blamed them for wanting to protest -- some of the things imPorts got away with were entirely unfair for the natives. The problem was, he knew not all imPorts wanted to be here... but they were trying to make the most of a situation that they couldn't escape from. What was so hard to understand about that? ]

Idiots...

[ 11 PM ]
[ He definitely wasn't sober enough for this. ]

[ Adachi rubbed at his eyes as the hour approached, noting the gross lack of staff around, not to mention other natives. Granted it was late, so he could understand most of the natives going home for the night, but the staff? Didn't they usually stick around until everyone left? ]

[ And then the people busted in, and everything went to hell in a hand basket as the flame creature came to life. Adachi was up and moving immediately, getting people to move and get out before the fires spread, or at least trying to. The first native he tried to escort out took a wild swing at him, nearly hitting him in the head. He got away from that lunatic, only to end up nearly face to face with the living flame thing. ]

[ Oh hell; he wasn't putting up with this. ]

Persona!

[Izanagi-no-Yomi appeared at his command, dividing the crowd as his Persona shot right toward the creature. So much for keeping his Persona powers on the downlow, but keeping everyone from dying was a little bit more important. ]

10 PM - you need a cat to tell you to go to bed

[lempereur]

[ Adachi is here.

He supposes that is a good thing, that it should make him feel better, that he's up and moving and looks to be mostly okay. All that seeing him does is make him compare the way he looks now with the way he looked then, and the cold grip of guilt wraps its fingers around his neck once again.

He can't avoid him or pretend he doesn't see him. That would be a lie. Just rip the bandaid off. Yusuke approaches, not too close, but enough to speak comfortably. ]

I think their hearts are in the right place. Even if they are wasting their time. Protest the people that brought us here.

Futaba Sakura | Registered | OTA

[codeoracle]

So, what would you little maniacs like to do first? (Mingling)

[Futaba can see all over the place, eyes wide and shining with excitement and the sheer amount of technology present in one place. She almost doesn't seem to know where to go first, bouncing from presentation to presentation and event to event.

She eventually finds her way to where the waiters are circling, taking the chance to grab several appetizers to stuff her face with. She doesn't have a fancy dress or anything to worry about--she likely stands out like a sore thumb with what she's taken to wearing.]

Not bad...but how am I going to see everything?

It was a slight on my honor, so he deserved it. (VR!!)

Prepare to be wrecked n00bs.

[The call is met with a cackle and wildfire. On the battlefield, Futaba may usually be support but here in the wholly virtual, she is nothing but brutal. She's squarely behind cover, rolling out of it every so often to fire off a shot.

She caught in a torrential rain, but that doesn't seem to deter her at all. If anything she's loving the immersive experience. Futaba can't remember the last time she had this much fun with a PvP game.

Fair warning though: the rain doesn't count for cover, and her sights are training in on you.]

Git gud, scrubs.

The things we lost in the fire fire fire (11 PM)

[The dwindling numbers had, initially, made Futaba think that the night was simply drawing to a close. But oh how wrong she was.

If the mob wasn't enough to have her on edge, the following declaration from a man that seemed to be a leader within the group certainly set her off. She's finding a place to hide long before the smoke and flame comes into play, using the cover to become Oracle, the intimidating form of Necronomicon fading into existence, tentacles reaching to drag her up into the safety of its form. She could see that the damage was extensive from here, and it was only going to get worse now that she could see the flames literally snaking around the room. This...was not going to be good.]

1.

[lempereur]

You can't even see over the crowd. How do you know where you're taking us?

[ This is exhausting. He admires her enthusiasm, of course, and from an intellectual standpoint he can even appreciate the work that is on display here. However, the sci-fi aesthetic doesn't really do much for him. ]

I could find you a vantage point.

Haen Hithiel | Registered | OTA

[alcheregis]

General Mingling
Haen loved Swear-In ceremonies, and attended as many of them as she was able, despite the fact that they frequently seemed to attract trouble. She was hoping for things to go differently this time around ha. She'd chosen a pretty new dress for the event, teal and iridescent like a peacock feather, and kept an eye out for new imPorts to speak to. Some of them weren't hard to find -- still looking a little overwhelmed by everything, just as she had nearly two years ago -- but anything Haen could do to help with that meant a lot to her.

Roomba Death Match
She could honestly say that she didn't know this had been an illegal problem before (the roombas were adorable, in her opinion, she'd even named hers Städa) but watching the heavily modified ones do mechanized battle was exciting on a visceral level. The hubbub of the crowd cheering on their chosen combatants only added to the atmosphere of it. "Good guanines," she exclaimed, following one particularly violent clash. "It's almost as though their makers were projecting a bit, don't you think?"

10PM - Protesters
Standing outside, Haen doesn't engage the protesters, keeping well enough within the cordoned off area that keeps them away from the venue, but she is listening to them and is clearly troubled by what she's hearing. She doesn't like when people are upset, and it puts her need to fix things into higher gear than ever. Biting her lower lip as someone shouts the claim of a particularly awful recent incident, she takes an uncertain step toward them, as if changing her mind about staying away from the volatile crowd.

11PM - World On Fire
Things... are not going differently this time around.

She can't do much about the fire except help people toward the exits. She's not a fighter, one of the farthest from it, but violence can be countered in other ways. She doesn't have her Tracerie with her, but all she has to do is get her hands on bare skin for a few seconds, and those who she grabs go down in twitchy heaps, unable to stand or continue moving much beyond the occasional jerky kick.

She's an incongruous figure in her green party dress, dragging the nearest one by the legs to shove him under a still-upright dessert table and out of the way of immediate traffic, and holding an extremely one-sided conversation stream the entire time, like the building wasn't in the process of burning down.

She was fairly certain someone would fix that.

"There we go, let's just tuck you out of the way, don't want people stepping on you by accident... well, given the mess you're all trying to cause, I'm afraid it might be more of a stepping on purpose, but you can't really blame people for that. Except you are sort of blaming us, imPorts, I'm not actually sure I caught why but don't you fret, we're going to have a nice long chat when all this is over. No, I know you can't move dear, I've given you some bradykinesia, slows your movements right down. I'd have gone with full paralysis but I didn't want you to not be able to breathe, see-- people think I'm scatterbrained but I'm really not. Also you'd have made quite a mess in your pants and none of us want to deal with that, especially not after tonight, I think you're inconveniencing us quite a lot as it is."

There's a semi-severe burn on her back and shoulders, and she has a nasty cut on her cheek and another on her arm, courtesy of one of the attackers who'd abandoned his blunt instrument for the jagged end of a broken bottle, but is acting like she's hardly noticed any of them.


((OOC: Will match either prose or brackets!))

arthur pendragon | ota

[hardcut]

earlier;

Arthur has made a calculation error, perhaps, in not paying much attention to imPort goings-on since his arrival - acclimating to the world as it is now has taken up a lot of his time and energy. Now, he has questions, and not all of them are idle curiosities about 'tech' - why does he have to be registered to leave the country, why are countries that far apart upset at each other (seriously, how the fuck did they even pick fights with people halfway across the globe), and a dozen other things.

But he doesn't corner someone and ask. Yet. Instead he peruses the displays, looking a little more contemporary than over the past week, though he's still got Excalibur for lack of somewhere satisfactory to keep it. He's too wary to give the VR a go, but the rest of it is alright; the roomba death matches are particularly compelling.

nearly eleven;

On the porch with a cocktail, Art does some more dedicated people watching despite the thinning crowds: protesters are an interesting development to the reality of being here at all, and the growing tension and unease even inside is... well, typical. That's people, for you. (Is some dick starting a fight? Pass. Arthur watches all these things closely, but chooses to keep his own counsel on that respect. He'd rather take mental notes on who does what than get involved just yet.)

It's not any supernatural instinct that keeps him around - disasters happen whether or not people feel something odd when they get up in the morning - but curiosity about the whole of the process, start to finish.

[ ooc; action is also a-ok! ]

[jalan]

In contrast, Daenerys senses she ought to leave. The baying of an ill-content crowd strikes familiar enough that she opts to order a car for herself ahead of time. The night has grown long, and her shoes are pinching her heels.

Rather than wait outside, she is drawn to the balcony.

She is dressed in her own label, something on the modest, sensible end of the spectrum, in a white dress with hard edges and silver embellishment, her legs bare from the knees down, her shoes strappy and low. A necklace of three circling dragons rests high on her collarbones, and her hair tumbles down her back, loose from tighter braids coiled together. Over her shoulders, she wears a lightweight coat like a cape.

Silently, she lands at Arthur's side, hands on the railings.

"Strange to think that they and we might wish for the same thing," she says. "To return to our homes."

Veronica Sawyer | ota

[couldbebeautiful]

[one: suck on that straw]

[So hey, Veronica finally got herself a license to put up a slushie stand in the swear-in ceremony! She's there fairly early, wearing a light blue blouse with a dark skirt (and whatever that belt is), and sets up shop somewhere near the end of the line. Since she's been told not to actually sell anything, she sticks a little jar with TIP JAR on the top beside the sign reading Free Slushies, No Requests for Flavors, then sits down and just spends most of the morning either writing in her diary or just people-watching.

She eyes the more alcoholic drinks on offer with some interest. One of these days she needs to find some way to fake up an ID so it's easier to get them.

Someone calls her attention, and she looks to her newest customer.]

Oh, hey. What's up?

[one-b: get lost in the pain]

[Veronica's not exactly the most responsible business owner. This is evidenced by the fact that she ducks out of the stall a few times, with her security system being "sticking the tip jar under the table", and at any other time that would work.

Except a minute or so after Veronica leaves, she comes back. Or at least it looks as if she's come back—but when did she find the time to change outfits? And when did she start wearing so much red? There's even a red scrunchie in her hair, for some reason.

Her attitude changes as well—where earlier she didn't seem to care if someone was a native or an imPort, someone she liked or someone she didn't, now she's outright picking and choosing which customers to serve. And she certainly didn't go to lengths to hide her slushie-making process before, which means she's up to something.

Someone comes up. "Veronica" leans on the counter.]

Here for a slushie? [Depending on who it is, she might sound either vaguely friendly or downright hostile, which is a marked difference from the earlier curiosity and cheer in her tone. Something is Up here.]

[one-c: let nothing remain]

What the fuck are you talking about?

[It's late afternoon, and Veronica, now back in her light blue blouse and weird belt, is not having the best of days. Seems like her lookalike's been at it again while she's been out, and many of the people she served are now either feeling a little too sleepy or having, ah, stomach trouble.

And Veronica? Had literally no clue about this up until people started complaining. And, uh, there's a small pack of people complaining right now.]

Why would I put sleeping pills into someone's drink? I wasn't even here!

[two: ROOMBA FIGHT]

[While Veronica's evil red-wearing twin is knocking people out with sleeping pills and laxatives in their drinks, the real Veronica has brought along her Roomba-cat Neko and is dropping by the roomba stall. It is pretty enjoyable, she'll admit, and she can see the appeal in it, but she doesn't exactly participate in the gambling.

Instead she's just running after her own Roomba, which is whirring around like an overexcited cat and bumping into people's ankles.]

Neko! No, stop that, bad Roomba. [Just going to pick it up now like it's a cat, aww.] Sorry about that. You all right?

[three: tell me, what's that sound? || 11 PM]

[It's been a long, frustrating day, and Veronica's just packing up to go home, stuffing her diary into a bag, when the main doors burst open. For a moment it's like she's back in the boiler room, JD snarling I wish I had more TNT, and her fingers are nerveless, her breath stutters. The new world needed room for—

Then the attack happens, and Veronica hisses out an angry curse, before diving right into the fray. Top priority here is getting people out of the way of danger, and that means she's going to find herself nearer to the fire than is probably safe, trying to shepherd people away from the danger and towards the exits.]

Go, go, go, it isn't safe—

[A native swings a table leg at her, and it connects with her head, knocking Veronica to the ground and stunning her for a second. So much for rescue, some part of her thinks, as the native looms over her, raising the table leg for another blow.

She's in trouble.]

11 PM OF COURSE

[khajidont]

[ Sometimes Jaime feels so secure in his suit that he's not sure why he goes to the gym and trains so regularly.

And sometimes something like this happens to make him glad he's been hard at work with Peacemaker, the Titans and Kaidan, where it's too busy and too much to suit up right away. He intends to, that's for sure, but he's got to make his way out first. And, it seems, Veronica needs to make her way out. Jaime winces in sympathy as she gets clocked over the head (he hopes that doesn't do too much damage; head injuries can get real bad, real fast), but he doesn't have time to sit and watch.

Instead, he rushes the guy, tackling him until they both tumble to the ground, the chair leg clattering to the ground and sliding over to where Veronica's lying, and he punches the guy in the face in a smooth, practiced motion. As the man falls still, Jaime looks over at Veronica from where he's straddling the guy, rubbing a little ruefully at his knuckles before asking, ] Are you okay? You need to get out of here and get that looked at!

Kang | OTA

[governorkang]

SELF

[Near the entrance, friendly volunteers can be found manning a table covered in flyers and pamphlets for SELF, a non-profit organization specifically for helping non-humans to adapt to life on this world, answering questions to the best of their abilities and accepting the occasional donation. For the questions they can't answer, they are quick to hand out contact information.]

Tech Expo

[Of course, Kang is drawn to the tech expo.

Especially the roomba fights. He's definitely making a few bets and cheering on his favorite (the one with wings).]

10:30 PM

[The crowd outside does not escape his attention. Neither does the trickle of Natives leaving, nor the whispers and looks he's received all night, though he knows exactly what's to blame for part of it - that gods-forsaken tabloid article someone had done pretending to be him. He figures the Natives leaving are just being smart and getting the hell out of dodge just in case something goes down. He's thinking of getting the hell out of dodge soon, too.]

11 PM

[Well, shit. He should have listened to his instincts and left already.

Muttering a curse in a mix of languages, he takes a moment to consider what spells, if any, would be of use at this moment. Several are ruled out immediately, as they were too likely or guaranteed to kill their targets, and that isn't his goal at the moment. Some, like this one, are perfect for putting out some of the flames, though, and he starts on that task. Unfortunately, there are limits to how often he can cast it - once he's exhausted it, he focuses on defending the non-enraged Natives so that they can escape.

He can tell something is wrong with their attackers by the way none of them even hesitate when they see him and their sheer ferocity. So, he's careful to keep the damage to a minimum, using his military training to incapacitate rather than kill.]

Sakuri Kunikai | Unregistered | OTA

[the_red_pawn]

1. Snacks and Socializing

[Sakuri isn't very good at socializing, for the most part. She wasn't very popular back home and with her stutter, she's always been made fun of. But it's a brand-new world, a world with people who don't know she's got an 'ugly' name and 'weird' blue eyes. She's just another twelve year old in the crowd, albeit one in slightly cutesy clothes - though don't worry, she brought a jjacket in case it gets cold.

She hasn't tried much American food before, or at least not the kind that's served around this sort of event. Since she's trying to make friends and meet people, though, she works up her nerve to gently tap (well, more like poke) someone else reaching for the food and ask,] Um, excuse m-me, is th-that good?

2. Va-va-va-Roomba

[Sakuri isn't really sure what the appeal of Roombas fighting is, but she likes the ones crawling on the ceiling and walls, and is debating on if she should get one. They're kind of cute, really. She drifts inbetween the fights and the stall itself, indecisive on buying one or not just yet.]

3. Wildcard

1

[namesaquestion]

Huh? [A glance at the pastries he's been eating, and the virgin cocktail - his,... he's lost track, but he likes them. While not exactly the best person to ask, at least tonight Niko's trying to be polite, so she get's more than just a shrug.] Yea. It's decent enough, for weird food.

Ken Kaneki || ota

[ghoulking]

Food
[ the best thing about not being able to eat a thing is that Kaneki won't have problems with the "poisoned food", and he will notice it before any drink with with laxatives or sleeping pills enters his system. After Kaneki asks for a cup of coffee (black, no sugar, no cream, that's always what he drinks), he gladly takes it to his mouth but the second the flavor touches his tongue, Kaneki automatically gags and spits it all out - lucky for everyone around, he doesn't actually vomit, but it almost happens.

Sorry about that. And sorry about your shoes if you were walking nearby. But it has been a while since Kaneki had a taste like that inside his mouth, and it's so goddamn awful. Ghouls really can't have anything else but humans or coffee, or this is what will happen. ]


Dance floor
[ Even though he is a bit awkward about it, and doesn't look like he could do it, Kaneki is secretly a good dancer. Sure, he can only do the Waltz, so this music doesn't fit, so it's not like you'll find him dancing. But if you wish to ask him for a dance, and if you insist on it, he will have a hard time saying no. Just don't expect any awesome and hip dance moves, he really only know the classical ones ]


Away from the crowd
[ After a while, Kaneki steps away from the crowd and finds a quiet spot. He finally has a cup of coffee without any extra surprises in it, and is quietly taking small sips to relax for a bit. Until Kaneki feels something dripping down his face, from his... eye? He puts the cup down and reaches to touch his face with his gloved hand realizing he isn't crying tears nor black - it's a black liquid. He stares at it for a while, and ends up trying to clean it away with his gloves.

What is going on...? ]


10pm
[ Kaneki is near the window, watching the protestors. It's not so strange to see them, considering everything imPorts have done in the past, but Kaneki sees them as short-sighted by refusing Ambassadors. After all, humans have Ambassadors too; they know why they exist.Plus, denying communication between imPorts and the government and the natives would lead to even more destruction, they should know this.

He sighs and shakes his head. Truthfully, Kaneki finds them rather lucky. It's so strange that most imPorts actually go along with everything, rather than trying to start an outright war; in truth, they could do it if they wanted to. Easily. ] How naive...


11pm
[ It's not surprising, not anymore. After being in this world for three years and being to so many Swear-Ins, Kaneki already expects something to happen. And of course there had to be some dramatic speech about how unpleased that person was over something; by now it's simply overdone.

Kaneki reaches for his eyepatch, pulling it out of his face, and lets his left eye activate its kakugan, and from his lower back red large tendrils come out, looking like large and somewhat creepy centipede tails. They wrap around Kaneki for defense and every time someone tries to approach him to attack, kaneki slaps that person away HARD (to the point they are sent flying). Sure, Kaneki doesn't kill, but he will knock out some people if they mess with him.

Maybe he sees you and comes to your aid, maybe you see him and figure he will be able to protect you, or maybe you protect him by taking care of some random person kaneki didn't see among the fire and rage. Just be careful with the tentacles, kids! ]


Wildcard
[ Come up with your own prompt or contact me at vilani or through PM if you have something else in mind! ]

away from the crowd; aka what is wrong with my boy

[itssacrifice]

[Andrew heads in Kaneki as soon as he spots the familiar head of white hair, glad to finally see a known face. It's not that he doesn't like interacting with new people but introductions and small talk can quickly grow tiresome.

When he's a few feet away, he lifts a hand, about to call out in greeting, but then he sees...something begin to fall from the other man's eye. Kaneki covers it up too quickly for Andrew to get a good look but he's immediately concerned.]

Kaneki? What is it?

Meetra Surik (The Exile) | Star Wars

[forcereset]

Early Evening

Meetra had never been the one going to fancy events, even when she'd been a general for the Republic. But she'd still learned enough to have the idea of dressing nice, wearing her nice pants and non-patched jacket in. The people at the door didn't take the double-bladed light saber at her hip when she entered, so even that clasped to a nice, newly polished leather belt.

So she didn't stand out too much as she cheered on a roomba fight currently happening on the wall, nearly 10 feet in the air. While they had rudimentary AI, they were no protocol droids. There was no shame in gambling on little destruction.]

Twenty says the one with the blade wins.

10 that night

Meetra simply stands on the balcony, glass of wine in hand, and watches the assembling crowd for a time. Still new to this world, everything was proving to be a learning experience. This one made sense. For every issue there were multiple angles.

But with children in the building, it was still unpleasant. She glanced at the person closest to her.

"I shouldn't have left the dance floor."

11th hour monster

The lightsaber stayed in place. There was no fighting literal fire with it and it wasn't exactly known as non-lethal weapon. So it was just her and her still struggling connection to the Force dealing with all...this. Any doubts had to be pushed aside, however, Meetra entering this newest mission with a single focus. Get people out of the room. Right.

"Get out!"

She snapped it at the nearest human charging her, putting the power of the Force into. He faltered, eyes wide for a long several seconds- then he turned and ran out of the building. Just in time for a second one to get close enough to be swinging a candle stick at her head before she could pivot and Force push him away.

Okay. So. New plan. Suggestion took too long. With a deep breath she held a hand forward, lifting three of the attackers off the ground at once. Now it was just time to get part two of the plan: get a partner in this scheme.

"Hey, help me out!"

early evening

[bespin]

If there's one surefire way to get Lando's attention, it's gambling.

He's dressed in an olive green ensemble in an attempt to blend in with the local fashions as he tries to promote his fledgling moving business. He looks over the woman next to him briefly before turning back to the fight.

"I'll take that bet. My money's on the one with the hammer."

donna noble | doctor who | ota

[oispaceman]

[ Well, Donna may not necessarily have a full wardrobe to choose from for the occasion, but she'll be damned if she misses out on the chance to snoop around this swear-in. She is part of the reason it's being held, after all. Technically speaking.

She can certainly be caught strolling around with a free cocktail in hand, more notably around the porch and the outer edges of the dance floor. Just your average, everyday mingling. Listening in on bits of conversation, insinuating herself into crowds to laugh at the end of whatever joke someone just finished telling. Just because the Doctor's not here doesn't mean she can't have fun. She sort of brought him to the party anyway. Best of both worlds. The whole package. Don't mind her if she sort of sidles up, casual as anything. She'll have finding fellow imPorts on the brain, though there are definitely a few cases of "whoops you're a native sorry" as the evening wears on. ]

Alright if I ask you a few questions?


[ She also gravitates towards the tech expo portion of the floor, inevitably. Donna doesn't sign on for a VR session, but she circles the area a few times, watches the promotional videos and what have you. She pokes around a little bit of everything there is to see in this area, honestly, and her curious investigations occasionally come with a little bit more... spark. She talks a bit more quickly, smiles a bit more brightly. Peers at control panels and components with a practiced hand. ]

Ohhh, but that's brilliant, innit? Just look at that! That's beautiful.

[ Is it a hoverboard? A VR headset? A fridge? A car? Could be anything tbh. She might do a little more questioning on exactly why Roomba fights are so popular, though. ]


[ When 11 PM strikes and brings all manner of chaos with it, Donna is about as fed up as fed up gets. Which is, uh. Pretty true to form for her. No sprinklers, no alarms, brainwashed mob, a perfectly lovely Expo Hall on fire with people inside.

She's furious. And yet, considering her lifestyle of choice, not terribly surprised. It would've been hard not to notice the staff trickling out, the protesters flagging off. ]

Oi, you lot! Some people just start up a letter-writing campaign! [ She straight-up slaps the nearest rage-blind Native. It's not enough to knock him out, but it does confirm that slapping isn't quite enough. Donna opts to whack him with a serving tray. ]

Can't even get one night out!

[ She may serving-tray her way to the nearest person who looks to be in need of aid. Like, she saw the paperwork, she knows she's got some sort of... sonic shout thing. But she's worried that would be a little overkill.

More pressing, to her mind, is the fire. There are plenty of people taking measures to help out with it. Doesn't hurt to try to chip in, though. It's a rager, and the more they have working against it, the better their odds of getting everybody out alive. She'll be asking people where maintenance is with increasing urgency, hoping that a lack of sonic screwdriver won't make it impossible to jimmy the sprinklers into operation.

And if she can't make that happen, it's back to the old-fashioned method. Dragging people out through any viable exit. ]

the first one!

[h2no]

[fortunately, if archie's appropriately superhero-like build doesn't give him away as an import, the big dog sitting at his feet probably does. definitely not a natural one with those yellow and red eyes. when donna approaches, its ears prick up and it boofs happily, tail already thump-a-thumping on the ground. archie is staring pensively at his own drink, but grins when he looks up.]

Sure. What's up?

Sam Merlotte | Registered | OTA

[shifting]

{ Meet 'n Greet }

[Sam's about to lose count of how many times he thanks people tonight. He's already shaken enough hands (complete with shoulder-pats and a practiced line about old dogs and new tricks) to put an ache in his wrist. It's exciting, even so. A little too loud and showy for his tastes, but hey, that's De Chima for you. His city.

A thought that's gonna take some getting used to.

So is this suit, come to that, but after three different people brought up his wardrobe during the campaign, even the stubborn shifter relented and found a men's store. Let it never be said the Ambassadorship isn't without sacrifice.

But by the smile on Sam's face as he works the room as well as his wardrobe, that sacrifice must feel pretty comfortable right now. He's flirty and charming and making rounds around the main hall, always ready to strike up conversation with a comment on the kebobs, how little he understands VR gaming, or the standard "thank you for coming out" followed by a more playful:]

Which I'm sure was for me and not the free drinks 'n food.

[when he needs a breather, he can be found leaned over the railing on the porch, staring out at the lights of the truly bustling city. It may be a little uncanny how good he is at guessing when someone's coming near him, his head always turning just in time to offer a welcoming smile and a:]

Takin' a break from the hoverboards?


{ 11 PM }

- Get to the exits! Move! Everyone just keep movin', let's go!

[orders the rushing tech workers and party-goers had already thought of themselves when the party erupted into fire and chaos, but Sam's voice still serves as a beacon for those lost in panic. He's able to corral a few of the more paralyzed to make a run for it, playing herding dog to a startled flock. Getting bystanders to safety will also allow the other imPorts more room to work their abilities. Sam knows his talents; they don't include giant flame monsters.

But luckily, they do include brawls, which is just what he gets into when one of the zealots rushes him, swinging an empty bottle of cabernet with all the gusto of a caveman's club. Sam weaves his head from the swing and returns one of his own, a punch to the jaw so hard that it throws them both off-balance on the connection. Sam staggers to keep his footing as the other man sprawls, downed in one hit.

Panting, Sam immediately spots anothernearby skirmish, and puts a bit of Porter-granted power into an angrily barked:] Get the fuck out of here!

[Amazingly, three of the natives calmly stop to do just that. The shifter curses under his breath and shakes the familiar, smarting pain from his hand while scanning for the next crisis. Shit, he thinks. So much for the goddamn party.]

Meeting and Greeting

[aggressiveapathy]

So. What's the plan?

[April may currently be testing out a hoverboard- not competing, because god that looked stupid. But just floating a foot or two off the ground to best maneuver her way to drinks and more drinks. The latest round of champaigne just so happened to be near the newly elected candidate. Considering how she work for a previous ambassador to these parts and all that political networking Mitch kept bitching about, so figured what the hell.

Demand some answers.]

bodhi rook / ota

[onlydoubts]

mingling/refreshments

[ Bodhi has never really been one for a fancy party, mostly because he's never had a reason or an invite. Big events were not unheard of, but those were for officers and generals and he was just a pilot. So, he's feeling a little out of element.

But that's fine, there's a lot to do -- a lot to see, and it eventually drags him away from the corner in which he'd been hiding in at the start of night to browse the refreshment table with a look of wonder before loading up a plate and taking a brightly colored drink with a little umbrella.

Later on, it's the hoverboards that grab his attention. He's determined not to be terrible, and manage it, which he does -- but not before falling excellently at least twice. Bodhi even attempts a few tricks, you can't do that with a speeder or a ship, now can you? Maybe they're not supposed to race through the hall, but... ]

Watch out! Sorry, coming through --

11 pm

[ By now the buzz of alcohol and excitement from earlier in the night have kind of worn down and he'd missed the earlier protests as he was preoccupied with the roomba fighting and betting on that -- well. He's had fun, for the first time in... how long has it been? So naturally, things go to hell not long after.

When the fire... thing flies above, he ducks, instinctively going for some kind of cover, but not before being hounded by an angry looking woman with a large metal plate of some kind. He doesn't think twice, kicking out a chair at her and without waiting to see if she was still coming after him, he bolts.

If he spots someone who looks injured, he'll stop and come to their aid, before urging them to an exit. What good is being able to heal someone if he's not going to use it when someone needs it? Otherwise he probably wont be sticking around. ]

mingling

[therewillbeorder]

[Speaking of generals, Bodhi seemed to have the misfortunate of running into one tonight. When Bodhi bumped into him, Hux stepped on the front of the hoverboard to stop it suddenly without hesitation.

He was in uniform, a drink in one hand- every bit an Imperial officer with the typical impeccable appearance, the upward tilt of his chin as he looked Bodhi over with a critical eye. He couldn't say he was exactly impressed.

You should be careful or you may find yourself running into someone who is less forgiving than I am.

Rincewand (the clone) || OTA

[wizzardly]

(A) Getting to Know You

[the hat is the same as it's always been. Tattered and pointy, a few speckled sequins hanging on for dear life spelling out the familiar 'WIZZARD' above the wide brim. It's a hat that should only mean one thing, one person, but unbeknownst to anyone but himself, this guest isn't the same disastrously ill-fated redhead this world has come to know.

Not that anyone would be able to tell at a glance. Granted, there's no Luggage in tow tonight, and the wizard appears to have allowed someone else to dress him, but he still heads straight for the buffet and bar, and he eyes those hoverboards like he'd rather consider hot coals than risk his neck on one of them. Typical Rincewind. Typical, cowardly Rincewind.

Nothing out of the ordinary, here.

Upon spying a familiar (or at least friendly) face, he smiles brightly and sidles his way over. He casts a nod at the people experimenting with the VR tech before they enter the maze, then shares a conspiratorial smirk and a shoulder nudge.]

You know, I know they're all seeing mountains and battle scenes and such, but from over here it's rather difficult not to see a bunch of fools in headgear waving their arms about.

...So I suppose not that different from wizards, [he acknowledges genially, sipping at his wine,] but we've so much more style.

(B) Wildcard

A

[catchacold]

[Rincewind coming over, smiling happily, not patting himself down to see whether Leonard has somehow stolen something off his person yet? Leonard's eyes narrow a little and he immediately assumes alcohol. Always a good way to make a bigger fool out of someone.

He looks at him at the shoulder nudge, but remarkably enough allows it to happen, simply raising an eyebrow.]

They say that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Guess in this case it's anyone sufficiently stupid looking is indistinguishable from a wizard.