TEST DRIVE MEME ( 001 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #1

Hello, and welcome to our very first test drive! We’re pleased that you’re expressing an interest in the game. Here, you can test the waters, gauge how your character may fare in the world of LifeAftr, and even gain some in-game incentives, if you so choose.

Remember that Reserves will open on July 17th and that Applications will open on July 24th, in preparation for the game’s official opening on August 3rd!

But first, two important notes!

1. The island of Mu exists apart from the real world and possesses a dream-like quality that characters are innately aware of from the moment they appear on its shores. No need to panic or fret. Dreams are odd things, after all - and anything can happen in them. Why would anyone question where their mind chooses to wander in its sleep?

2. Due to the nature of Mu, threads in our test drive can not only be accepted as thread samples in your application, but can be accepted as game canon as well. In fact, certain choices your character makes in Mu have the potential to bear in-game consequences.

Shipwrecked
The white sand of the beach ridges the island’s edge, even if the clear water soon becomes murky the further out you look across the horizon until the turquoise gleam of the tide disappears in a coil of surrounding fog. Indeed, your best prospects may very well be to strike out among the trees or the crags looming out over the foam-capped waves. There’s lumber to be found and made from the palm-like trees, potentially fruit or edible tubers of some kind if you forage about some. The further you travel, however, the more of your surroundings will reveal themselves in a steady unspooling of curiosities.

One corner of Mu’s current construct drops away into a sheer cliff, initially too dangerous to brave for all but the more daredevilish, but if one starts to scan the sharp rocks below, you might catch sight of what appears to be sodden planks of wood - a wreckage tossed up against the rocks. And a little further...a bobbing, shattered wreck of a lifeboat’s remains, potentially bearing supplies that might yet be salvageable.

Fashion what you can from the wood and stone around you or scavenge from the ruin of the land, if you like. But you can’t simply stand around and wait forever. It’s going to get dark sometime - and if a creature of unknown terror doesn’t catch you, the elements surely will.

Storytime

There’s a sense of camaraderie in this cove, you think. As the sun hangs low over the horizon, the world cast into orange hues, long shadows dispersed by roaring fires that dot across the beach.

That’s right, folks: it’s storytime.

There’s no one to preside over this meeting of the minds in Mu. Call it a vague recreation of things to come, if you like, some vaguely fatidic dreamlike state where you may find yourself drawn to the heat and company that awaits you by the fire. And from there, compelled to default to that old instinct that most of intelligent civilization has revered since they were advanced enough to paint geometric shapes on cave walls.

You tell a story.

Perhaps it’s a tragedy, a tale of woe and of personal loss. Perhaps it’s the sort of thing you’d break out after a few rounds of your alcoholic beverage of choice, clapping hands to your knees as you try to bite back your mirth long enough to spill the punchline. Perhaps it’s an adventure of some sort, some unbelievable rendition of your past exploits. The only common thread to be had, as those gathered around the fire share their tales, is the fundamental rule of a ritualistic sharing of stories such as this: its truth.

But how one chooses to define "truth" is, in its own way, another story entirely...

Dance, Sucker, Dance!
The beat of your heart in your chest is difficult to ignore. It judders with a pulsing, rhythmic quality. If you’re one of those that lacks a heart, the beat is still omnipresent and all-encompassing, until your entire body is unwittingly bobbing in time to a metronomic tune that seems ingrained into your very soul. It’s inescapable. You can’t seem to move unless it’s in time to the rhythm that’s now singing in every atom of your being.

But rest assured, you’re not alone in this musical curse. Everything, from the swaying trees to the waves against the beach, jumps in time to the music. And so do the monsters approaching you, that - wait a minute.

Monsters?

Oh, yes. Did we mention those?


It seems you’ve encountered the wrath of the Boogieman, who curses you to only dance to his infernal beat. If you wish to best him, you’ll have to either evade or destroy the blobs of greenish slime that serve as his minions, all in time to the hard beat of the tune in your head. Clear the radius of his curse or risk an open confrontation, if you dare. Don’t worry if you look foolish; chances are anyone else caught in the Boogieman’s thrall feels just the same.

Mu isn’t pulling any punches to start with. It is a flighty creation, after all, and seems to revel in displacing people into new and uncomfortable situations.

---

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[ishotyouuu]

Wade didn't understand what you said, but was encouraged anyway.

Guzma's enthusiasm is infectious to say the least, and Tibia seems galvanized by it. She squares her tiny shoulders, tightening her grip on her bone club and casting one glance back at Wade-- not out of uncertainty, but with the sharp-eyed demeanor of someone prepared to follow orders.

Wade offers her a nod of affirmation. "Floor's yours, baby girl. Just like we practiced." And Tibia doesn't need any more encouragement than that. She quickly makes her way over to the nearest slime in a way that can only be described as dancing, ducking out of the way as the creature throws a thick gob of itself at the little Pokemon. Tibia retaliates before it even has a chance to recover, viciously swiping with her weapon and reducing the ooze to a viscous paste on the sand.

The little Cubone is trembling now as she sets her sights on her next target, and Wade doesn't have to see her face to know that she's shaking with pure excitement. This is what she was born to do. She glances over at Golisopod, her eyes bright and shining with exhilaration.

Care to dance with her, Goli?

[yallstupid]

Tibia moves with the grace and elegance of her kind, and Guzma's almost sure she'd do her Alolan kin proud. The Boneclub was pretty good to make mashed potatoes out of one of those Slimes, and Guzma can't help but applaud the little lady. I mean, she is still a lady, even if she's young and very tiny. It's perhaps for that reason that Golisopod lowers himself into an almost bow, and saunters over with a bit of a hop to his usual lumbering gait.

His partner here is a little too close to the line of Slimes, so with a slow twirl, his claws cut through them like the gelatinous masses they are. Flicking off goop from those glistening, dagger-like claws, he offers one very slowly and politely to his partner with a quiet rumble. It would be an honor.

And like a proud parent, Guzma double fucking fist-pumps the air. HELL YEAH, MY BOY IS A GODDAMN GENTLEMAN. "Treat 'er nice, Goli!"

[ishotyouuu]

Goli is still very large, larger than even Wade and Guzma, which means he positively dwarfs the diminutive dinosaur at his side. Tibia pays no heed-- the thirst for battle runs strong in her veins at this point, and anyone willing to fight by her side despite her diminutive size is a more than welcome ally. She doesn't shrink from him when he extends his claw, merely grasps it gently in her tiny hand with an eye-smile before dancing off towards her next quarry, her feet still keeping the beat still in the air, counting on him to follow closely behind.

You don't mind if a lady leads, do you Goli?

On the sidelines, Wade grins widely at his little girl's antics. She's not much for talking yet, but clearly she's learned the enjoyment of a battle from her daddy. He turns proudly to Guzma, inclining his head toward the little Cubone currently smashing another slime into the sand with an expression of pure glee on her face.

"Quite the little firecracker, ain't she?"

[yallstupid]

The eye smile is returned with a very careful, gentle tickle of his claw over the little lady's tummy. Golisopod are very tender pokemon by nature, despite their fierce looks, though they are also fierce warriors when bid to fight. He cares not that the small Cubone is leading, and lumbers slowly after, spinning around in places and lifting his claws up slowly as they cut through the bodies of a few slimes getting a bit too close to his partner. Don't worry, Tibs, he's got your back.

Guzma matches that grin, his nearly eating up his face. She might not be anything to sneeze at in the ways of size and roughness, but even Guzma has to admit she's got that sort of flair that is inherent of her kind - or at least the ones he knows from back in Alola.

"Definitely. Does she know anymore moves, bro? A Bonemeraang should deal some heck'a damage and take out a few of them things at once. Or a Bulldoze? I mean, gonna hurt a bit, but Golisopod can take it no problem."

Heck, her dancing is top-notch, too! She's making her Alolan ancestors proud, and may grow up to be one hell of a Marowak one day. And a true firecracker, considering the typing.

[ishotyouuu]

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The grin Guzma gives to Wade might be bigger than even Wade's as he watches Tibia thrash another one of the green slimes, and Wade finds himself warming to the brash albino almost instantly. The way to a mercenary's heart is through his daughter, apparently, and Wade can't help feeling like a proud soccer dad as he watches his little girl work.

The fun is kind of mitigated, however, by Guzma's questions about Tibia's moves. Wade's smile fades a little, his brow furrowing in confusion as Guzma lists off a series of maneuvers as if Wade's supposed to be catching what he's throwing.

"Uhh..." There's absolutely no way to bluff this without sounding like an idiot. "I gotta level with ya, bro-- got no idea what the hell you're talking about."

DOES HE LOOK LIKE AN ACTUAL TRAINER TO YOU, GUZMA.

[yallstupid]

...You've got to be kidding. Guzma's face goes from delighted to plain horrified as the realization sinks in that he's dealing with a total newbie. He glances back from Wade to his pokemon then back and slaps his face with one hand. She...she really must only be a baby. Low-level and not at all battle ready like Golisopod, who has over a decade's worth experience in competitions and normal battles under his belt. Guzma drags his hands down his face and--don't get mad, don't get mad, don't get--

"Moves, man!! Her moves?! Boneclub, Bonemeraang, False Swipe, Focus Energy, Headbutt?!" He lists them swiftly, counting on his fingers. "You threw her into a battle without knowing what moves she's got?! Has she ever fought before?"

He's already expecting the answer to he a hard 'no', and double-battles are a hell of a lot more difficult to strategize and choreograph, too. This is...this went from good to bad real fast. He may have to dictate this brawl right away to keep the little thing safe from harm, if she's really that weak. Lord.

"Golisopod! Swords Dance again, then Sucker Punch anything that gets too close to the lit'lun!" He's only got five of those in him, though, and a Waterfall is dangerous to use with a ground type around...UGHHH!!

[ishotyouuu]

Y'know what, Guzma? Wade's not 100% in love with your tone right now. The mood of the encounter seems to change on a dime, and the white-haired punk immediately switches from singing Tibia's praises to acting like Wade's some kind of wet-behind-the-ears jackoff. Which is incredibly unfair-- Wade's damp behind the ears at worst.

"Okay, Number A? You don't have to shout. Two, stop actin' like I just crawled out the womb, and D, of course this ain't her first rodeo! D'you honestly think I'd just toss her in there without knowin' she had at least a little bit of experience? Give me a little bit of credit, dude! 'Sides, she's doin' great so far, ain't she?"

He throws his arm out in the direction of the scuffle to indicate just how well his little darling is doing while Tibia, oblivious, launches herself at another slime with the excited bloodlust of a seasoned warrior.

[yallstupid]

Wade, don't escalate, he's already frustrated with the way this has petered out, and Guzma doesn't take people getting up in his face too well. His brows turn down, knotting together as he regards this red-suited weirdo. The only people he doesn't mouth off is probably because he's still, uh, armed, and makes a decent enough point. He narrows his eyes and shoots a glance out toward the fight. The Cubone is doing...okay. Not great, but okay.

"Listen, bro, she's doing a'ight, but she could be better is all I'm saying. She's got moves that, if she knew 'em would end this in a second. If y'all wanna wait to waste each and every one of these things until the sun burns out, be my guest, but I don't got time to be wasting here.

A pokemon battle ain't just about throwing your critter out there and letting 'er whack things to a pulp. Y'all strategize - know her moves, her typing, her strengths and weaknesses... Golisopod is a water type. If I had him use Waterfall right now, he'd waste a huge chunk of these things, drown 'em out, yeah? But I'm not gonna do that since your girl there would take the brunt of it, too. She's weak as to water, bro.

Now, I can probably handle this if y'all get the heck out of my face and lemme think a little. And lemme command the lady a sec."

[ishotyouuu]

As much as Wade hates being told what to do, the conciliatory tone in the other man's voice ebbs his rancor somewhat. Wade huffs sullenly as he backs away, redirecting his attention to the fight a few feet away from them. Tibia's still holding her own despite her age and inexperience, giving the larger insectoid Pokemon one hell of a time trying to catch up with her enough to keep her out of danger. Despite everything, Wade finds himself biting back a smile-- she really takes after her father.

"Don't know how well she's gonna take to listenin' to someone who's not me," he replies in a rather sullen voice. "But you're welcome to try. S'not like I wasn't gonna call her back if things started lookin' too hairy, y'know."

[yallstupid]

"I know," Guzma mutters while chewing his lip, thinking hard on what a Cunbone's moves might be. Bone Club, obviously, and he knows there's Headbutt in there, but...what else? He's not a ground type user and never once considered a Cubone as a contender for his sixth party member, so it's...hard. Damn but he wishes he had a pokedex handy right about now... A quick scan of the little monster and he'd have her details right in front of him. "She's got a lot left in 'er, but I don't them the odds in numbers...but I got an idea.

"Cubone, use Focus Energy - Golisopod, guard 'er while she's charging up. Anything gets too close, you pummel it to a darned paste, got it?" The affirming rumble means Golisopod heard loud and clear. Guma's eyes scan the battle field, and the asshole commanding his slimes. There's really no other way to do this, is there? Ah, he doesn't like the idea, but it may be their best shot. Hopefully she does listen to him though, otherwise it's plan B or plan Flee...and the latter is not an option Guzma usually takes.

[ishotyouuu]

"Tibia," Wade mutters, by way of a correction, but it doesn't really make a difference either way. The little Cubone hears the commands addressed to her, but unfortunately for Guzma, Focus Energy is way beyond her capabilities at this point. She's only a level 7, after all, and for her to attain that level in Sol Raveh had been a challenge in and of itself.

So she merely stares at the white haired man, cocking her head slightly in puzzlement, and it's then that Golisopod takes the opportunity to dice a slime that had been in her sights. Tibia snaps her head back at the larger Pokemon as he makes quick work of the creature, stomping her foot in reproach and letting out a few scolding "Cubone"s in response.

Way to take the opportunity to kill-steal, Goli.

[yallstupid]

"Tibia," Guzma grunts, muttering a not-so-sincerely sorry in there at the end. He's not really one for nicknames, after all, only calling his own pokemon slight abbreviations of their given, species name from time to time. Anyway, he really doesn't have the time to be thinking on that. When the pokemon and Trainer share glances, Guzma feels the remnants of his soul begin to wither and die, slowly.

"You're killing me, man..." What level even is she?! If she hasn't learned Focus Energy, then...hoo. Hoo, man, he's praying she's not some sort of hatchling or something because... Because Guzma will have words. "Try, uh...Leer? No, shoot--Tail Whip, I guess."

You're not giving him much to work with here, and Guzma's scratching his head to think, chewing his lip and shooting a grim look to the sideshow host as he plays a sad violin tune for a second when Guzma rubs his face. Why you gotta be like that, asshole? Man, what he wouldn't give if he could--...wait. He glances first at the scene, then Wade, and chews his lip. Lord, he's gonna get shit on if this doesn't work.

"Golisopod, once the lady is done...pitch a fastball, man. We looking a home run, too, y'dig?" Golisopod looks over his shoulder, antennae twitching, then back at Tibia and rumbles, nodding his head slowly. If you say so, dude......he trusts you, at least.

[ishotyouuu]

It might not have purely been for her, but Tibia knows a taunt when she sees one. She glares daggers at the puppetmaster controlling the slimes-- not exactly as powerful as a Leer attack, but it's as fearsome as a baby Cubone can make it-- before twirling expertly on one foot, lashing her tail out to deal a hefty blow to a slime that has taken the opportunity to creep up on her.

She turns toward Guzma, cocking her head quizzically at the man's instructions to his Pokemon. She might not know what Guzma's talking about, but Wade does, and his worry over Tibia's well-being is momentarily drowned out by a growing excitement. If she could pull this off...

Wade cups his hands around his mouth and shouts to his baby Cubone. "Fastball Special, Tibs!"

It's like a light going on in her head. Tibia's confused expression snaps into something hard and determined. She turns to Goli and offers him a nod, raising her arms in very much the same way a child would to indicate they wanted to be picked up. Ready when you are, bug friend.

[yallstupid]

You know what's great about status moves like Leer, Growl, and Tail Whip? They effect all opponents on the battlefield. The slime Tibia took out takes that blow and the others seem to lose a bit of their nerve as well - a good defense drop, one stage is still something, and it may work in their favor... Guzma does wish she had Focus Energy, that'd make his plan so much better, a critical hit Bone Club, even from a tiny thing like her, can do some work, but alas...he'll bring it up later.

For now, it's time to play ball, and Golisopod scoops up the darling Cubone into one of his shovel-like arms, cupping her carefully like a pitcher would a well-loved baseball. His meaty claws are like any glove, and when Guzma gives the instruction to toss, he hurls the little pokemon right at...not a slime, but the conductor of this crazy orchestra.

"Bone Club, now!" The timing has to be perfect. If she misses, or doesn't clobber that asshole right between the eyes, then they have to try again, an strategy like this will be near impossible. Thankfully, Guzma's got years of tournament practice under his belt, and Tibia is a good, gutsy pokemon. He has the utmost faith in her.

[ishotyouuu]

There can be no margin for error here. If Goli's aim is just the slightest bit off, if Tibia falters for just a split second-- the plan won't work, and the little Cubone stands a chance of being grievously hurt or worse. Despite all appearances, Wade's heart is in his throat even as his hand strays to the holster at his belt, ready to pop the conductor in the eyes if anything goes awry. It's cheating, but when it comes to his little girl, he's willing to sell his soul if it'd ensure her safety.

Fortunately, he doesn't have to do a thing. Guzma's faith in the plucky little Pokemon is entirely well-founded.

Tibia bunches up her legs within Goli's gigantic claw, and when he's given the order to toss, she increases the momentum by pushing just at the right moment, sailing gracefully through the air as if she'd been born with wings. The puppetmaster, entranced in the chaos of his own making, has enough time to glance over at the tiny brown blur of death rocketing toward him, and although his expression is obscured by the mask, everyone present has the pleasure of seeing his body go slack with shock.

Her eyes shining with exhilaration, Tibia raises her bone club above her head with both arms as she closes the distance to her quarry, letting out a loud battle cry as she brings her weapon down:

"Cu-BONE!"

The club strikes the conductor between the eyes with brutal, punishing force, amplified by the velocity of Tibia's flight. A violent shiver runs through his body, and if this had been a cartoon, Wade's sure he would be able to see the creature's eyes crossed out with comical Xs. The Boogieman remains standing for only a few seconds more before sinking to the ground like a sack of wet cement, his power over the slimes fading along with his consciousness. Freed from their thrall, the slimes lose cohesion as well, melting slowly into the sands before disappearing altogether.

Wade doesn't realize he's shouting with excitement until he finds himself gripping Guzma's shoulders, his eyes riveted to the sight of his tiny warrior as she picks herself up from where she's fallen awkwardly onto the beach.

"YES! Holy shit did you see that? Motherfucker got iced! Ahahahaha!"

[yallstupid]

The scene unfolds in a matter of seconds, and Guzma's holding his breath the whole time. He, too, was reaching for his second pokeball, to up the odds by bringing in Ariados if all else fails - a third member of the party may even the odds a bit - but it's not even necessary. Everything falls into place, and he's so damn proud of the little thing. It was all her, all them, and his heart soars when that satisfying crack echoes over the open air, the force of her hit sending tiny shards of bone and bits of the dude's mask flying. What a hit, what a great hit.

The slimes are gone, they've won, and Guzma would be astonished if the tiny thing didn't gain a boatload of experience from all that, but who the hell cares right now? He's held back from racing to the two pokemon to congratulate them - how could he not after such a great finish to a tough fight like that? They deserve all the praise he could lavish on them. Maybe even a rare rainbow pokebean each for being so darn awesome.

But Guzma doesn't move other than to swing an arm around Wade's shoulders and cackle loudly, the wide grin on his face triumphant and massive.

"My man, your Cubone was lit! Never seen a li'l thing put the beat down on anyone like that! Yo, you gotta let me train with her again, for real!" He punches Wade affectionately in the arm, then releases him to go on over to the two pokemon, clapping Golisopod - who was helping Tibia up from her spill, and picking off the sand from her fur - on his hard shell and hugging his this neck. "Brooo!! Nice toss, Goli, you were sick as, hahaha! C'mere, both of you, I got a treat to celebrate."

TREAT?? +__+ Golisopod suddenly perks up, his antennae twitching as his tongue slithers out from his mouth and he swallows hard. At soon as his trainer begins reaching into his hoodie pocket, and he can hear the familiar crinkle of the bag of pokebeans, Golisopod rumbles loudly, spindly arms reaching and gripping at Guzma's clothes to get to the bag of snacks.

"Hey, no--c'mon!! LADIES FIRST, HOMEBOY!"

[ishotyouuu]

It's been a while since he's been engaged in a bro-hug like this. It reminds him of the first time he met Jesse back in Haven; how they'd fought through the tunnel full of monsters for the first time-- Jesse's first, not Wade's-- and emerged victorious and triumphant into the northern section of town. He remembered how jubilant Jesse had been then; how the desolation of Haven hadn't yet bogged him down.

There's a sharp pain in his chest, and for a few seconds he finds himself honestly struggling with a sudden crazy desire to hug Guzma for real; to feel even a pale facsimile of what he'd had with Jesse. Then the younger man has parted from him with a punch on the arm, and Wade watches him close the distance between them and the two Pokemon with a strangely wistful feeling.

Tibia, meanwhile, glances at Guzma and then at Goli, noting the almost comical way the larger Pokemon reacts to the word "treat". As the man pushes the overexcited insect away, Tibia takes a step forward, eyes filled with curiosity and a tentative sort of eagerness. She's fully aware of what "treat" means, of course, and if it's something that gets this sort of reaction out of the normally stoic Golisopod, then it's definitely something she wants to investigate.

[yallstupid]

Guzma doesn't seem to notice, sadly, that his partner in crime there wasn't feeling as jovial as he was. A victory is means to celebrate, and after so many loses in the past, back on Alola, Guzma will take any sort of win he can get. And this? This was aces - not only did they beat down their opponent, but he did it with a low level Cubone to boot, one that didn't belong to him, and a type of pokemon he's not at all familiar with. That's got to say something about his skill.

Guzma braces Golisopod's face away from him with a a large hand, and the pokemon whines and complains with a loud, throaty growl, but Tibia gets her treat first, as promised. It's a pokebean, and indeed rainbow colored. The shape is exactly like that of perhaps a jelly bean, and the tasty and chew will be similar, but they're much larger than just the size of someone's finger nail. Or no, these beans can easily fit in Guzma's palm - perhaps two inches in length - and he hands it to Tibia first, then finally gives one to Golisopod.

"Tch, you needa control yourself, homeboy, I told you tons'a times already, yeah? Ladies first - you do the same thing with Masqurain and Ariados, y'big glutton. Next time I'm letting Masquerain Air Slash you...didn't like it last time did you?"

No... ._. Golisopod grumbles, but seems pleased to get his bean, holding it in his noodly legs and chewing greedily. Nyam, nyam, nyam. ♥

[ishotyouuu]

It's clear that Guzma has a special relationship with this oversized insect. It sort of reminds him of those zookeepers or caretakers in those animal preserves, who were able to tease and roughhouse with otherwise dangerous big cats without fear of being injured. It's kind of adorable, is what it is, and Wade finds himself looking on almost affectionately. It's like the relationship he has with Tibia, really, and he wonders whether Guzma had had his Pokemon since its hatching as well.

Tibia, for her part, holds the bean she's been given tightly in her claws, watching as Golisopod digs in with unbridled enthusiasm. Hesitantly she brings the brightly colored bean to her mouth, chewing slowly and thoughtfully, her eyes widening with delight as the taste spreads over her tongue. She hums while she chews, little chirpy trills of sound she'd make whenever she was eating something particularly good, and when the bean was completely devoured she gives Guzma her best eye-smile, tapping her claws together in the sign for more.

Wade, watching this, can't help but chuckle affectionately at his little girl. "Hey Mikey, she likes it."

[yallstupid]

Wade would be pretty close in assuming that, actually. While not a hatchling, Guzma had the big guy here since they were both pretty small - meaning when he was just a child, and when Golisopod was still in his pre-evolved state; the cowardly little Wimpod he raised and trained with utmost care and affection into the large, powerful, and equally loyal Golisopod he is now. They're been together for close to two decades now.

They're practically brothers.

Hence why when Guzma looks back - excuse, what did you call him? - he's been roughhousing with his pokemon a bit, sunglasses slightly askew and hair ruffled more than usual.

"Name's Guzma, homie, and m'fraid I can only give out one Rainbow bean a piece... Ain't got 'nuff of those to go 'round. Less ya girl there don't mind a plain bean?" Rainbow beans are rare, but plain colored beans come in droves. It won't be as delightfully tasty as a rainbow bean, but still a nice snack.

[ishotyouuu]

Wade doesn't seem particularly bothered that Guzma doesn't get his reference-- people rarely do. Either that, or they don't want to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging it.

"Nice to make yer acquaintance, Guzma. Name's Wade. An' you're obviously already well acquainted with Tibia over there. Say hi, Tibs."

It's a formality by this point, but Tibia gives Guzma her best eye-smile, claws already working to sign out a greeting.

Hello G-U-Z-M-A. I like you.

Wade grins down at her."Think you might've made a friend there, dude."

[yallstupid]

Wade, huh? That's definitely not the name Guzma would have come up with when looking at this walking stop sign. He returns Golisopod back to its pokeball to rest up, then squats down to be more level to the itty-bitty Cubone. Ah, here we go again, he narrows his eyes, screwing up his face as she signs at him again. He...doesn't know anything of what she said, but apparently it was good? I guess??

He grins, chuckling softly and tilting his head to one side. "That right? Well, gotta say I ain't never met a Cubone with more moxie than this one right 'ere...so I guess the feeling's mutual, yeah?" He scritches under Tibia's chin, then stands up again. "Y'ever need someone to teach you the ropes, homie, come look me up. The girl's tough, but ain't been properly trained for battles...but dang does she have a knack for 'em. Ain't never seen a lot-level like that totally beat down on someone. It was sick as, bro."

He is being entirely sincere here. That was DOPE AF.

[ishotyouuu]

Tibia offers a little trill of pleasure, briefly clasping his fingers in her claws before he pulls away from her, and moves to stand beside her human father. Wade smiles warmly down at the exchange before raising his eyes to the younger man's, his expression lightening when he realizes what exactly Guzma is offering.

"Think I might take you up on that, duderino. I mean, if she can pull stunts like that after only a day of takin' orders from you, then she'd definitely do well with a teacher. Plus... y'know." He ducks his head slightly, looking a little embarrassed.

"You could probably teach me a thing or two about training. I-If that's okay with you, I mean."