The Heights of Londo [OOC 2] - What? OOC is evolving!

[Comissar]

It's a bridge over the Thames near where I live. The building is a hotel/restaurant. I used a slow shutter speed and just zoomed out while the photo was being taken to get the effect. I did a bunch of other ones on the same evening (some were panning shots, had one other that was a zoom, just focused on the bridge), but this one is my favourite.

[tgva8889]

Really cool! I like the effect.

[Hazuki]

Ibib sits on Bibi's head, not float around.

[tgva8889]

Ibib can float, though, right?

[Hazuki]

Probably can, but I don't believe it has ever left Bibi's head.

[tgva8889]

We'll just go with "Alyssa has a creatively incorrect memory" then.

[Hazuki]

Just so y'all know, I'm definitely not self-indulgent.

[Comissar]

Heh, Nika's smooth moves getting her a date

Gotta be honest, I'd assumed Nika and Sass were an item though!

[Hazuki]

You assume Nika knows what she's doing.

And really? Interesting! How come?

[Comissar]

Honestly? Not 100% sure looking back

I think it was something to do with the tone Nika had talking about Sass, consistently very complimentary and talked about dinner plans, which I think I read at the time as being 'lets go out somewhere for dinner', but again, looking back that seems to have just been my reading of it!

[Hazuki]

Ah. Well, Sass having a love interest is something I've thought about, but it wasn't that long ago that she was in Bastille Town talking about how romance is for suckers.

[Comissar]

Huh, I'd forgotten that was a thing she did. I guess that means she'll think Leah's a sucker once she meets Alyssa again

[Hazuki]

Maybe. But she might not say it to her face.

[tgva8889]

Eh, better to be a sucker IMO.

[Comissar]

Incidentally, despite being british, the only tea I'm a fan of is the iced variety. Don't actually enjoy hot tea/coffee/most hot drinks.

[Hazuki]

Hot drinks, really get you going~
Warms you up, when you feel you're slowing~

Are you suuuuure you want to try to fill out a scene of general chitchat with Nika? She's been with you since the library (Four scenes!) and I don't know if you'll be able to get a lot going without further stimulus.

[Comissar]

I'm cool skipping ahead until Bibi's done

[tgva8889]

I am also down for skipping ahead.

[Comissar]

So I was thinking about stuff for Leah to do around town while Alyssa's busy, was thinking she could try helping Sass prep. for her upcoming battle? Don't know how much she might actually be able to help with, especially since Sass is already a more experienced battler than she is, but she'd want to help if she could.

[Hazuki]

That could work! What kind of help might she give?

[Comissar]

I'm thinking that, at least to start, Leah's help will probably be more analytical in nature than anything else. Picking apart Lady Diwyneb's battling style and the decisions she makes under pressure, that kind of thing. Maybe look for tells that could give Sass an opportunity. Possibly looking at the way her pokémon behave too, see if any of them have gotten frustrated enough in the past by a particular strategy to stop reacting quickly to instructions given? (Leaning on the pokémon psychology she might've picked up from the Professor)

[Hazuki]

Huh. Is she planning to get, like, recordings of Lady Diwnyeb's battles or something?

[Comissar]

Probably not recordings, unless there happen to be some around, but there should be records of her battles around? Or at least people who can give anecdotal accounts? It's not perfect, but it gives a place to start from.

Edit - Oh! But if Lady Diwyneb has some battles with other trainers while Sass is preping, Leah could record those then analyse them with Sass..?

[Hazuki]

Hmm. I'm going to concept-mine you guys for stuff you'd want to do/kinds of quests you like, to fill up Diwyneb since you'll be spending time here.

[Comissar]

So, I think for Leah the helping Sass prepare is going to be one with some decent depth. Can be broken down into researching, maybe including (covertly?) recording a battle. Specific training with Sass could feature as well, possibly? (thinking trying to get her pokémon used to specific strategies/used to fighting a specific type).

For stuff to do on her own, she could maybe look into learning how to do potion making stuff? It's plant related things, and would let her use her botany powers. (Disclaimer - I am aware I've been the main one standing in the way of Leah using her botany powers previously )

[tgva8889]

I mean, Alyssa is always interested in catching Pokemon and finding ways to use her artistic skills in a general sense. I don't have a specific idea in mind for how she might use those skills, but she'd be down to use them. In a specific sense I imagine that she will be spending a lot of time trying to take care of this new egg and work on bettering her fears, and I think there's definitely some ideas for misadventures in egg care and/or fear management.

I think we also have to get to know Salandit, who is still yet to be released from the Pokeball, and I think Alyssa and Maggie may have to decide what their plans are in the future. Is Maggie gonna walk with them for the rest of their journey, or does she want to be Alyssa's Pokemon? Plus any new Pokemon Alyssa may meet along the way that she catches. I'm realizing Alyssa has only actually caught one of the 3-4 Pokemon she has right now, which is kind of funny.

There's the possibility for other characters from Alyssa's past to show up. She's far from home, but she spent some time in Lancer, maybe someone from there? I'm down to write up some quick summaries of people if you want more help making people!

In the relative long term, I would like to do a scene where Alyssa has enough sense of self to apologize to Sable. I don't think Alyssa would get far enough to, say, catch and have a Dark-type, but that's maybe an eventual long-term goal.

Also, we must actually have Alyssa and Leah go on a date, and not have it interrupted in the middle!

[Hazuki]

Thanks for the detailed feedback. :3

I'd love some NPC summaries from Alyssa's time in Lancer.

[tgva8889]

I will get on writing some stuff! I realize that canonically Alyssa doesn't have any friends per say from when she was in Lancer, but she did have some classmates, and possibly some other people she would have met.

[tgva8889]

I'm still writing some stuff, taking a bit longer for me to get down things than I expected as I'm planning a move soon, but I'll send over stuff when I've got some things down. I'm having fun working on it though!

[Hazuki]

Glad to hear you're having fun with it! Although now it sounds like you're writing a little more than summaries.