lifeaftr | Ruins Mingle Log!

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Ruins Mingle Log!

Who: Newt Geiszler

ohnehalfte and EVERYONE
What: So a bunch of people headed up towards the ruins, so they've got to all run into each other and start to congregate, right???
When: Evening of the mingle log and onwardish.
Where: The Ruins
Warnings: Um...same as the mingle log?

The beach curves up a gentle slope until it meets forest, some manner of building visible through the trees. Further exploration of this area will reveal a dilapidated building of sorts; the architecture is indiscernible to even the most skilled eye. Despite looking as if it has seen better days, there are areas that offer some form of shelter...and who knows what else. Just because it appears uninhabited doesn’t mean you won’t wind up pleasantly, or unpleasantly, surprised.

[ooc: Hey y'all! I thought this might be a good place to start getting larger groups of characters together to do some exploring, settling down, banding together and figuring out rations, etc. Feel free to throw up any threads of your own for specific things like exploration groups, a gathering in the entrance hall, whatever strikes your fancy or that you think your character would organize. Have a party!

Edit: Additionally, there is now an OOC Post for those that want to handwave their character signing up for ruin exploration]

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[The trade having been completed, it crosses Frisk's mind to leave before the intimidating man returns. They've gotten their hands on fruit... for both them and their Partner, no less. Maybe it'll tide both of them over until they can find some water to combat the steady stream of sweat prickling at their necks.]

[But they stay, drawing their knees up and watching his back disappear into the distance. They're not sure why. Maybe... they just don't want him to think that they're trying to get away from him as soon as possible. Because he's scary, in the same way Undyne was scary, but he looked kind of upset when they flinched away. They feel bad about that.]

[So they sit and they wait, and they're not at all prepared for the giant bug-lobster to pop out of that ball and start lumbering around.]

[Frisk blinks up at it in total, shocked silence. They watch it sniff around, its antennae wiggling about in the air. It's not hard to see that it's searching for something, but....]

[It looks sort of... sad?]

[Frisk doesn't do anything to draw its attention, but if the bug happens to look their way, they wave at it before pointing off towards the direction Guzma disappeared.]

... he went that way.

[Golisopod does catch Frisk's movement and leans way down to look at them first before straightening back up and looking toward where they indicated. Instead of leaving to find Guzma, however, the huge insect bellows instead - a loud, rumbling sound that carries for a fair distance.]

Quit your bellyaching, you big baby, I'm coming back!!

[There he is. 8D Satisfied, and making a soft clicking sound, Golisopod tromps back over toward Frisk and makes himself cozy beside them. He's still enormous even when he sits, but those thicker arms are folded together as he waits patiently, leaning his upper half forward to rest on his arms. He only occasionally looks at Frisk, moving over when the protruding parts of his shell threaten to jab the little kiddo by accident.

Eventually, Guzma returns, and nearly drops his sopping wet hoodie on the ground. He looks between Frisk and Golisopod, and how...passive the scene is. So often people would freak out or try to harm his pokemon, considering they're not cute and fluffy like the brat's, so this is...different.]

Uh...

[Whatever reservations Frisk has about large and intimidating men, apparently, does not seem to carry over to large and intimidating pokemon. They don't so much as flinch as he lets out that horrific bellow; only hearing Guzma's faint shout in reply causes them to move, tilting their head as if to help them hear it.]

[As Golisopod settles down next to them, Frisk politely keeps their gaze trained ahead. Only when the pokemon glances at them for the second or third time do they react... by turning a little bit and reaching out a hand, attempting to gently pet one of the ridges sticking up at an angle from his upper body. It's okay, big guy... your friend is coming back. They'll sit with you until he does.]

[In fact, when Guzma does reappear, he'll find that Frisk is mirroring Golisopod's stance -- their arms folded over their middle, one leg kicked over the other as they stare up at him with what might be very slight disapproval.]

We've been waiting.

[...What the fuck is this, the Godfather?

Guzma certainly notes how the two look nigh identical as they sit together, side by side - though Golisopod looks extremely pleased to see his owner again - and his face screws up. They've been wait--excuse me? I mean, Golisood he can understand, the big bug belongs to him and would sit and wait if he told him to, but the kid is another story. He half expected them to be long gone by now. He looks Golisopod dead in the eye and motions a hand toward Frisk as if to quietly ask: BRUH.

To which Golisopod turns to Frisk and croons loudly. Guzma smacks a hand over his face, then drags it down. Well...okay. At least the kid isn't scared of or hurting his pokemon. And Goli seems to like the kid, too.]

Not for too long, otherwise he'd be blubbering worse'n a Wailord... Didn't scare you, did he? Though from the look'a things, Golisopod's taken a shine to you, kid - that don't happen often, neither. ...How the heck'd you get out of your ball, anyway? [Guzma frowns, crossing his arms as he regards his pokemon like a stern parent catching a child out of bed.]

[Somehow, the presence of a gigantic bug seems to have bolstered Frisk's courage in the face of a gigantic man. Or maybe he's just been thoroughly outed as a softie in their eyes. Either way, Golisopod's crooning gets a returned look of absolute approval, and Frisk reaches out to pat them affectionately again.]

No, [they say in response to whether the pokemon scared them. When they glance at Guzma again, there's something a bit softer in the set of their mouth. Less guarded. They won't say it, of course, but Guzma came back after making a promise to. Not everyone does that. It's worthy of... something in their eyes. More than the fear they'd held of him before.]

Is he a pokemon?

[He'd vehemently deny it, but Guzma certainly does have a soft spot for his pokemon, now more than ever. The two he has he sticks to like glue, for fear of losing them as well. As for kids like Frisk...well, he neither likes nor dislikes them, it's very case-by-case. Though, seeing the child act so warmly toward his pokemon certainly is helping endear him to this one very easily. Golisopod rumbles when he's pat, like an enormous cat, and he leans far down to nudge Frisk's hair and tickle their face with his feelers.

Guzma actually smiles, though it's faint and doesn't last too long. He approaches his bug and gives him a pat as well on the head, rubbing his palm between the big guy's antennae.]

He is, yeah - Golisopod. ...Don't many of y'all know 'bout them; you're maybe the third person here what didn't call him something foul. [It goes unspoken, but he's thankful and appreciative.]

[Frisk's face screws up almost comically as those feelers tickle over their face, and they snort to keep themself from sneezing. Cat, dog, enormous bug... Frisk does not discriminate. They continue distributing their pets with great alacrity.]

[Their nose then wrinkles even further, but that's because they're listening to what Guzma says. Frisk shakes their head with a look of genuine, flat disapproval.]

I've seen pokemon before. [They won't specify where.] But that's not an excuse.

[Critical pet! Golisopod rumbles softly, almost like a cat - between Frisk and Guzma lavishing their affections on him, he very well might just melt into the floor into a very happy puddle. Guzma snickers at his big bug, shaking his head and whispering quietly how much of a ding-dang creampuff he was. Big softie. ♥]

Yeah? Well count yourself a rarity here, kiddo, all them folks don't know an Abra from an Arcanine. [He reaches over Frisk slowly, drawing out Golisopod's ball and returning him, much to the bug's dismay.] And it's starting to really bug me...don't mind no one calling me them words like that - most of it's the truth, anyway - but don't you go messing with my pokemon.

M'already missing three... [He grumbles quietly, trailing off as he runs a hand through his hair.]

Sorry.

[For once, Frisk means it as an expression of sympathy rather than an actual apology. They hope he finds them. Their mouth presses into a thin line, and it only firms even more when they lower their hand so that Golisopod can return to his pokeball. Their hands shift into their lap, twisting their sweater sleeves a bit restlessly.]

[They don't seem too afraid of Guzma anymore. There's a different reason for their discomfort.]

... I had a pokemon. Her name was Duckie.

[Had. Had. That word alone speaks volumes, and Guzma feels a pang of regret, talking about and having his own pokemon escape its ball by mistake. Last thing he needs is a kid starting to cry because they miss their pokemon. Yet still, maybe he can at least get them to open up and remember a few good things. Longing is, as he knows full well, somewhat bittersweet.]

Duckie? [He can't help it, Guzma chuckles softly, though it's more affectionate than dismissive. It's a very child-like nickname.] What kinda pokemon was she?

[He's expecting a Psyduck or a Ducklett...]

[In fact, the child before him looks very far away from tears. If anything, their nervous tic has given way to a solemn, more troubled number of the lines around their eyes. It wasn't very smart of them to bring Duckie up at all. They're supposed to be hiding details like that from everyone.]

[They miss her, though -- the little pokemon that gave them some company, in a castle filled with gray and mist. Not because they were lacking in other company, but because they only had a precious few that expected no words from them. Duckie was one.]

[They hope she's forgotten them.]

...

[It also occurs to Frisk that they never really called her by her species name. They're sure someone in the castle must have known and told them, but...]

[They bring up their hands and form a round shape with their palms, about the size of a soccer ball.]

... purple. Like a balloon.

[Frisk is actually pretty good at pantomime, but it's what they say that actually has Guzma fill in the blanks easily. He looks up in an almost 'aha!' sort of way, his lips turning up slightly at their corners.]

That'd be a Drifloon. They good pokemon - ghost and flying type. We got those where I'm from, but they's kinda uncommon. Y'know...you're actually the second person I met what said they had a pokemon, but don't come from my world. Y'all's real lucky... [Because somehow there were Pokemon in different worlds? Sure there are the rumors that Drifloon steal away children to worlds unknown, but that's mostly just an old wives tale to keep children out of graveyards and from kicking over tombstones and such.]

Sorry she didn't come 'round here with you, kiddo, but y'all can play with Golisopod...big guy needs someone to babysit him when I ain't around.

[Frisk does a good job of not tensing when Guzma realizes that they're not from his world -- not that they were exactly trying to give that impression -- but they're still relieved when he doesn't seem intent on pressing further than that. They're very sure they wouldn't be able to come up with an elaborate cover story for the castle on the fly.]

[That's something they should think about in the future, at least.]

[For now, they smile a little and give a bobbing nod. They didn't do much more than pet his Golisopod for a couple of minutes, but they'd be happy to see him anytime. Especially if he has a hard time coping without Guzma around. Chara probably wouldn't approve, but Frisk can be very determined.]

Okay. But make sure to come back for him.

[They seem stern about that point, even if it's easy to see that they're pleased.]

[He laughs, quiet and with a shake of his head. The kid lecturing him about coming back for his pokemon... If it were anyone else, Guzma would feel insulted and furious - his pokemon mean the world to him. As cruel as Guzma is, he'd never be able to bring himself to actually truly hurt a pokemon. Stealing them for profit? Oh, absolutely. Cutting off their tails if and when you know they grow back? Yup. But actually kicking around and killing one in cold blood? No, he draws the line.

So Guzma salute Frisk with two fingers and a broad grin.]

Forever'n always. For all my pokemon. [He's closest to Golisopod, yes, but that doesn't mean he'd sacrifice any less for the others.]

[Frisk studies that promise with a real and serious eye. Maybe it's hypocritical of them to be like this -- when they abandoned Duckie themself, in the end. But they're sure that she's still happy, with all of her pokemon friends. She doesn't need them. Judging by how Golisopod stood and searched and crooned for Guzma like a lost child...]

[He does.]

[After a moment, Frisk stands and carefully returns Guzma's salute. Whatever criteria he'd been judging him on, they seem to find his sincerity passable.]

[Then they drop their hand and plop back down, pointing at the wrapped leaf they'd left earlier. See? They honor their deals, too.]

[Guzma chuckles again, quietly, at the return of his little salute and how the child seems to mimic him. It's rather cute - he's never been one to dislike children, some are just...more tolerable than others, definitely. He observes this kid a little closely, taking in their appearance and how they seem a little more relaxed. He hates to admit it, but that soggy, old kahuna was right about something: with pokemon, you can go anywhere, and bond with anyone.

Blinking, Guzma shuffles over on his knees toward the leaf, inspect it and the contents. Ah...not exactly anything he needs, he already has nails, but it'll be a good trade offer. Maybe, if he's lucky, someone can melt a few down into something better. Though having a few around to convert to a fishhook is pretty killer, too.]

Yo, thanks, kiddo. You ever needs anything else, you look me up, yeah?

[They guess that about does it, then. Frisk gets to their feet, dusting some imaginary sand from their pale knees, and gives a nod. He's not so scary up close, when he's not glowering and scowling. Frisk thinks he might just be sort of like Undyne in that sense. Only a little bit calmer.]

[They never got his name, but they don't feel like asking for it. Besides, Frisk thinks he'd be pretty easy to pick out. They wave a hand, tentatively, and pull their mouth into a small smile.]

Thank you.

[Then they turn away, but pause.]

... tell Golisopod I want to hang out again.

[And with that, Frisk mimics the salute one more time -- just for fun, really -- before shuffling off.]

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Ruins Mingle Log!

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