Raise a Glass [OPEN]

[lordshield]

Who: The XV Cast and You!
When: June 6th
Where: Curti Center, Jiminy's Juicery (bar)
What: After saving innocents from the Dream Width, some people just need a drink.
Warnings/Notes: Alcohol consumption, possible violence, whatever people do in bars.

Their first foray into the search and rescue business in the Dream Width had been intense, to say the least. Stressful, heartbreaking, exhausting, and enlightening were other words some might use to describe the experience. After a night of rest and a day to somewhat sort things and people out, the next evening brings about a mighty need to head to the local tavern. Some drink to forget, some drink to remember, some drink to relax. There are even representatives of the Bard's Guild providing live music. You can try to make a request, but chances are they don't know your foreign songs.

Maybe you were invited by one of the excitable young men from Lucis, or maybe you came on your own. There's enough room in the bar for quite a few people, so long as they're of age. Sit right at the bar, or pull up chairs around a table, the choice is yours.

[OoC: Make your own toplevel or tag around. Please put content warnings as necessary. Have fun!]

Comments

[chefbayardee]

I. Vehicular Wallflower

See, Hunk isn't old enough to get let into the bar. He knew this, but he still sought to try his luck, to puff out his chest like Lance would've, to try and convince that bartender that he's not just big for his age, he's big and an adult. It didn't work, because he just started laughing awkwardly as soon as he got to the door.

So instead, he's reclined in his shiny new Lion Speeder, legs dangling out over the sides of the cockpit, eating from a giant bag of popcorn resting in the legroom. When he's not glancing towards the bar's door, the windows, or the latest loud noise from within, he's stealing glances from a book that he borrowed from the Curti Library: Memories, The Dream Width, and You.

And if one happened to get close to the Speeder, they may notice the faint but undeniable smell of baked goods wafting from... somewhere. Wh-where is that coming from?! And are those makeshift hammocks in the side-wings?!

II. Sidecars and Cinnamon Rolls

As much as he acted the fool, Hunk was no idiot, so he knew full well that as the night dragged on, like it was now, some people might need a little help getting home. That was why, before he even left his house, he made sure to turn the Speeder's side-wings into... hammocks that sucked you in like bean-bag chairs? Wrapped and reinforced cloth piles that could fit him (he tested!), and should also be able to carry someone who's had a few too many.

With a revving of the space-age engine and the faint, futuristic purr that followed, Hunk gingerly backed the craft a bit away from the door, such that he could easily drive back towards the residential district for what may be one of many trips. And as that engine warmed up more, the smell of baked goods was superseded by the smell of bacon. One has to wonder, has Hunk ever even been around a drunk person? It doesn't matter, he knows how food works and that he can do something to help his friends so gosh darnit, he's gonna help 'em!

Even if they blorf everywhere. Especially if they blorf everywhere.

(( ooc: Of course, other prompts are possible! Just lemme knowwww if you got any ideas! ))

Wallflower

[spaceforged]

The speeder slightly sags with new weight as Shiro leans his arm against it, leaning against the speeder. "I thought I heard you earlier. Doing okay out here?" He'd been in the middle of mediating between two surly drunks when Hunk tried his luck. He'd have sighed and talked to him about this sooner but. Drunks.

Why did he agree to the bar again? He pauses, breathes in and blinks. "...wait, why does the speeder smell like a bakery?"

[chefbayardee]

Hunk was happy to see Shiro, because a familiar face was always good. And the idea of Shiro relaxing at all in that bar was comforting, in a weird kind of concerned way. Shiro never lets loose!

"I'm fine. The Dream Width was a little crazy..." Hunk's eyes roll with the emphasis. Huge understatement. And then he pushes a button, causing the blue-windowed hatch in the front to open. The bakery smell is overpowering.

"So I baked my troubles away! And then I realized I made too many." There's a box filled to the brim with iced cinnamon rolls, each wrapped in wax paper. "Help me out. You know you want one." And so he looks expectantly at Shiro, because he asked for this.

[spaceforged]

He eyes the box. The bar food has been exactly what he expects out of bars. Hunk’s food is always out of this world. He hasn’t really started drinking yet. Something like a cinnamon roll would help when he got into it. “Yes, I do.” Besides it’s a cinnamon roll. Who turns those down. “Just be careful out here. I’m trying to keep everyone behaving inside but it might get crazy at some point.”

The Dream Width being crazy is an understatement. He takes a breath. He promised to share with Hunk when something bothered him. But he can’t tonight. It was too much. “Yes, the dreamwidth was crazy.” Yet something lingers like a shadow over him. “Did...any of the memories change you to suit it?” Black hair. No scar. He stares down at his Galra made arm in thought.

[chefbayardee]

"I've handled Galra soldiers, I can probably handle drunk people!" The statement is confident but very defensive, partially because Hunk has no idea if he can actually handle drunk people. And it's a bit of a worrisome thought, so he switches gears back to the Dream Width. A worrisome series of thoughts.

"In one of them, I was a high school student." Kanji's was mundane, which was apparently unusual. "In another, I was investigating a destroyed town, and I had this huge clunky gun, and there were zombies, and-" He stops mid-sentence, as if he'd been trying to forget what just bubbled up in his mind.

"One of them had a giant crystal tree, and I was a knight fighting off crystal zombies with an axe, and..." Hunk's voice trails off, and he just sighs. Did he kill that woman? Wasn't it just a memory? But the zombies looked like people from his universe.

"...I wish Coran was here." Not just to figure out if that zombie was Coran or not, but because maybe he knew what that was, why a crystal tree and what Narayana and Eternity meant, and...

Hunk just sighs.

[spaceforged]

"What happened when you were fighting the crystal zombies?" He rests his hand on the speeder with a gentler tone to his voice. Something happened. All of his own concerns have been stuffed into a box. He'll deal with it later.

"...I do wish Coran and everyone else was here too." So he'd know they were safe. Maybe get the answers they need to prevent a terrible future. If they could even stop it. "I...changed in the Dream Width too but, that can wait."

[chefbayardee]

Hunk really wants to just drop this entire line of conversation and ask Shiro how he was doing, because that was what they agreed to. They're on a team, they need to support each other, and- worrying can wait. They can both talk about what they saw. He'll just be first. It'll be fine.

"There was this giant, creepy crystal tree. A bunch of knights. Swarms of these terrifying zombies, covered in crystals. They kept coming at us. One of them looked like Sendak." He sighs. It was probably just weird Dream Width memory magic. But then he swallows the lump growing in his throat. He'd know that mustache anywhere. "Another looked like Coran."

As it turns out, the cockpit of the Speeder was a great place for Hunk to pull his knees up to his chest, to start to curl up into a little ball. An awkward, uneasy laugh creeps from his throat because what else can he do to prepare himself to say words that should be completely insane?

"I... think I killed Coran?"

[spaceforged]

He'd listened with eyes growing slowly wider. Whose memory would have Sendak in it? That doesn't make sense. They change to fit into the memories. No memory would change to suit them...could it? Shiro stands rooted in place for half a breath.

"I don't think so." No. Coran is alive. He reaches out to touch Hunk's shoulder once. He's here. "We know so little about how memories work in the Dream Width. It could be the memory shifted to make you understand how devastating the situation was for the person. In one memory, I had both my arms and no scars at all."

He holds up his hand. Still metal. "My hair was all black again. More than one us participated in that memory at the same time." Shiro drops his hand. "Did anything else happen?" If they can piece this together he can help Hunk move past this. Or at least, help him cope.

[chefbayardee]

He just paused, taking in a deep breath at Shiro's reassurance and, thankfully, that hand on his shoulder. Like always, the leader of Team Voltron had a great head on his shoulders. Maybe... maybe it was just weird Dream Width magic. Shiro got his arm back for a while, after all.

"We... we fought off the zombies. There was this creepy laughing woman in the shadows. She said something about Narayana and Eternity, and..." Hunk trails off for a moment, balling his hands up into tight fists. "I definitely killed her." He sounds disgusted, ashamed. How could he not, after unleashing a supercharged series of axe strikes at her, after seeing her spit up blood from so close?

"Then there was an earthquake, the ground split open, giant crystal pillars shot out, and... then it was over." And Hunk just sighs out a ragged, shuddering breath. Did he die in that memory? "One of the other knights got a hit on her too, and I think he was a king? But she... she was so creepy. Messed up lab coat. Crazy laugh. Purple eyes."

And then Hunk looks uneasily back towards Shiro, making eye contact. He knows darn well that Ashelia's drawings for Futaba had purple eyes. But they can't be connected, can they? It's gotta be a coincidence. But they all thought the same about Keith's Blade of Marmora dagger...

[spaceforged]

Shiro's jaw works and he covers his mouth with his metal hand. There's no way Ashelia's drawings and the memory are separate events. But what the hell does it mean? Eternity. Where had he heard that in relation to this world? Had it...been the Goddess of Death? He needs to check his notes again.

"...A knight and a king. A crystal tree and zombies." Each detail makes this go from bad to worse. "Hunk. I think you confirmed for us what we already suspected." He crosses his arms over his chest, brow furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line. His tone is brisk, commanding attention as he slows down and meets Hunk's eyes again.

"Our answers lie in the Dream Width. You may have stumbled upon the memory of a servant of the Goddess. Or something else. Either way that was important. I just don't know what it means or if you failed or not. ...we'll figure it out." They have to.

He can feel a timer settling in his chest and ticking down. His burden. One breath in. "Pass me that cinnamon roll? And eat one yourself. ...and Hunk, you did what you had to. Remember that above all else." It's how he got through the year in the Arena.

[chefbayardee]

"Y-yeah." Almost robotically, Hunk grabbed a cinnamon roll and handed it to his friend. Shiro always knew what to say. They've destroyed so many Galra flagships, and those definitely had people on them. This one just hits close to home because he was so close.

And then his hand grabbed a second cinnamon roll, and he started munching on it with the ferocity of someone who was going to eat every feeling he'd ever had. If there was actually some Goddess of Death involved, how can they beat that?

"We'll figure it out." The words are surprisingly clear given how much food he was fitting into his mouth. But in the meantime...

"Sho... How were your memoriesh?" That's where the mouth full of food went. "You shaid you got your arm back?"

[spaceforged]

"Briefly. It seems memories shape us to fit in it. In one memory there was no such thing as my arm so...I had it back." He treads carefully over the subject. His arm throbs as if reminding him that it's gone.

"A lot of memories were strange. Oh and...thank you for helping me out of mine. We didn't find out anything new but, we have something. That's more than we had before." Shiro peels the edge of the cinnamon roll and pops it into his mouth. It's like brushing his fingers over heaven.

He doesn't swoon but he makes a small pleased sound. He doesn't often go for sugar. But this is exactly what he needs right now. "I missed pastries I recognize." Oh god. He missed so many things. "Next time I'm going to push for everyone having proper equipment."

[chefbayardee]

"Yeah, seriously." Hunk rolls his eyes, before just groaning. "I started using the magitek laser from my gunblade to launch us back to the airships. We had nothing to get us back safely!" And he huffs at that, because they didn't need anyone else getting stuck out there.

"Should I try to draw something up?" And he doesn't really wait for an answer. While he might already be mentally sketching stuff out, something more important is on his mind. "If you have any requests, the kitchen would be more than happy to hear them, Shiro."

And he just looks smug. Better believe he heard that noise, boss.

II

[chocobosnap]

It was nice that it smelled like bacon, but that definitely was not on Prompto's diet. Then again, neither was alcohol, and he was going to regret the caloric intake later.

He could resist bacon. He couldn't resist cool technology he hadn't seen and he stumbled slightly, going over to put his hands on the speeder.

He didn't really notice Hunk, but the tech was just fascinating. He'd never seen anything like it.

[chefbayardee]

Hunk was on alert a bit, what with maneuvering his space hovercar and preparing to drive drunk people home. He wasn't sure what to expect with drunk people, let alone drunk people he knew. So when he heard the sounds of Prompto's little stumble, his head poked out from the driver's seat. It'd be horrible if someone faceplanted into concrete, after all.

"Oh, hey!" Hunk's obviously happy to see his pal. "How you doin'? You alright?" There's an edge to the question, because he has no idea what anxious-when-sober Prompto could be like when possibly drunk. Was he in over his head? Maybe a little.

[chocobosnap]

Prompto, at the very least, managed not to faceplant into concrete.

"Hey!" He said, not so cheerfully, he was rather melancholy while drunk, but he just shook his head.

"I'm drunk." He smiled. "Are you drunk? You should be drunk. Come drink with me."

[chefbayardee]

And then it dawned on Hunk that he really had no idea what he was doing, or how to deal with drunk people. The shock was obvious on his face both at Prompto's declaration and the offer that followed. See, the Gourmand just assumed that drunk people would know what to do and he wouldn't really have to make any adult decisions, but...

"I can't get in, I'm too young to drink." He says it matter-of-factly with just a lot of disappointment. "I've saved planets but I can't go into a bar..." And the disappointment subsides, replaced by a roll of the eyes and a sarcastic chuckle.

"Are you hungry? I brought food." Everyone has to eat, even drunk people. Right? Probably. Unless it made them throw up. Hunk really didn't wanna make Prompto throw up, he'd feel terrible.

[chocobosnap]

"Oh man, that sucks." Prompto answered, leaning against the machine, the interesting machine he didn't know anything about.

"When you're older, I'll buy you a drink."

He wasn't going to remember that promise, or be too proud that he was encouraging an underaged guy to drink.

"I don't know. Maybe hungry. Maybe? Yes."

[chefbayardee]

"I mean, I've had drinks before." Maybe once or twice back in his home universe, but definitely once early in Vaikuntha. Baiken's stuff had a... a kick. As he reaches over the cockpit and into the front storage, he shoots Prompto a cheeky grin. "I'm not missing much."

And then he pulls himself back, one hand holding two bags. Hunk reaches into one and pulls out a slightly browned-and-cripsy pork bun, and bites into it. Except if Prompto cared to look, he'd see it's not pork. It's bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese, and potatoes.

"Wan' a Hod Pocked, Prombdo?" He's talking with his mouth full, and extends a hand holding the second bag to his friend.

[chocobosnap]

He peered at the bag and nodded, reaching over to take it.

"Smells good." He smiled and leaned against the machine lazily as he took a bite. "Good." He said, with his mouth full so it was a little muffled. "'S good."

He took another bite, clearly hungry because he'd had so much to drink.

[chefbayardee]

Hunk swallows down the mouthful of food, just smiling ear to ear at Prompto's comments. "Thanks!" And as he watches Prompto start wolfing the thing down, he can't stop smiling. "I love it when people appreciate my food." All them warm fuzzies.

"I was kinda worried that the weird native ingredients wouldn't go over well, but you seem to like it just fine! I think." Hunk's just assuming his friend would like the food if he was sober, too. Less questions that way. "Plus, it's cheaper than the bar food."

It is, in fact, free. And Hunk's not one hundred percent aware of how out of it Prompto is.

[chocobosnap]

"It's good." He reassures Hunk, even though he might not eat it if he was sober. It wasn't Hunk's doing, he just tended to watch what he was eating and after all the beer he drank, he wouldn't have eaten anything.

But, he wasn't, and he was hungry and Hunk made him food. "You're the best."

He hadn't been paying attention too much to the cost of things either. It had been a strange night.

[chefbayardee]

"Aw, thanks!" Not only was Prompto a fan of the food, he inflated Hunk's ego, too. Drunk people are so nice... even though Prompto was nice to be around any other time. But then as he thinks about it, he realizes that the normally excited and chatty Prompto is... well, neither of those things.

"Are... you okay?" Maybe it's the alcohol? Hunk's never been around many drunk people. He's not sure if this is normal. May as well ask, it'd be a good time to learn something.

[chocobosnap]

Prompto looked up at the question and shook his head. "No...I'm not good yet I just.." He sighed a little, leaning against the bike.

"Bad time with the memories, you know? Makes me think about things."

[chefbayardee]

"You're not alone. Those memories were..." He paused, sucking in his breath with a wince. "They were pretty rough." Then he takes a moment before forcing a warm smile and just shrugging.

"There's comfort drinks in there and comfort food out here." He just hopes it'll be enough to help.evetyone out. "Unless... You wanna talk about it?"

Hunk almost hoped he didn't because the Dream Width was bad enough already. But Prompto's his pal, so he'll try to be there. Unless he ran into zombies- Hunk's had his fill of memories with them.