ohmyarceus | Test drive meme

1 - new bark / route 29

[It's that time again, for fresh blood to pop up out of "Mom's" house. (Livio isn't going to touch that can of worms, thank you.) This man in particular barely fits through the door, given his frankly ridiculous size, and he starts to apologize for... any and every inconvenience to this woman, but he stops short.

This entire place is alien in more ways than one, he realizes all at once. His jaw drops as his eyes dart all around him. It's everywhere.

... Given a few minutes, he'll just be standing on the edge of town, staring into the forest, bare feet wiggling in the grass, so entranced he's for once unaware of anyone near him.]

2 - cherrygrove or violet: at a restaurant

[After a good few days of walking, nothing sounds nicer than a good meal.

Unfortunately for the staff at the restaurant he ends up in, to Livio, "a meal" can entail hours of ordering and an entire table of emptied plates and bowls. It's completely fine, though, considering the hefty wad of cash in his bag.

That is, until he finally receives the bill. Then his face blanches. As the waitstaff takes care of other guests, he looks around wildly and ends up turning to the table nearest him with a panicked smile.]

Hey, uh -- awful sorry t'bother ya, but... I'm new 'round here, and I mighta made a real mess outta my double-dollar t'poke-dollar conversion. Any chance y'could help me out? I can work t'pay it off, I swear.

[... He really could. He could probably move your entire house. Like, the whole building all at once.]

3 - network: video

[The feed opens to a man seated on a log along one of the routes. A Teddiursa clings to his shoulder, apparently hanging off of his back. The newbie seems comfortable enough with the Pokemon by now, but the environment is a completely different story. He still casts wide-eyed glances at the flora around him.]

Ah -- howdy. [He finally thinks to wave at the camera.] I was just wonderin' -- is it like this everywhere? I never saw so much... green in m'whole life.

[Vash has already had his eyes on this stranger for some time. Not because he recognizes the man or anything — how could he, when he'd only known Livio for a handful of minutes, and those minutes had passed by in a rush. No, he's simply impressed at just how much the man manages to put away. He has half of a mind to come over and offer a congratulatory shoulder clap when...

Oh no.

Being new himself, Vash can't tell a fellow fresh face from a native. Thus, it's only once the poor guy begins to panic over his meal that the blond figures out what's happening. He's already on his feet, reaching for the wallet in his back pocket. The telltale jacket is folded up and tucked into his bag right now, being diligently guarded by his faithful little Mimikyu! The glasses, on the other hand, are still square on his nose.

He's nary more than a foot away when he hears the phrase double-dollar. He damn near slips as a result — resulting in a rather clamorous stomp of the foot instead. He offers a sheepish wave to whoever glances his way, before sliding the requisite bills across the table as if nothing had happened.]

Keep the change, friend.

[And just as quick, he turns away before this less-than-unfamiliar stranger can catch sight of his face.]

[Yeah, sorry, the whole violent ballet thing Vash has got going on makes him really hard to ignore. So long as he isn't immediately scampering out of the building though, first thing's first -- Livio quickly counts the money, ensuring there really is enough to cover his bill, and makes a mental note of the amount. This oddly familiar benefactor is not escaping without thanks.]

Now, hold on a second -- !

[It's rude to stare, he's pretty sure. But it's difficult. The hair and the glasses on this guy are hard to ignore, even if they're different enough to make Livio question his sanity. There's no way in hell, right? It's a coincidence.]

Y'really got me outta a bind, there. Surely there's somethin' I can do fer ya in return.

[As much as Vash might like to run from the "scene of the crime" as it were, his Mimikyu would never let him live it down. And by now, he knows better than to doubt her prowess, too. So instead he shuffles over to the booth he'd been sitting at and snatches up his jacket. Iconic as the red fabric is, he doesn't want to put it on, but as the little creature has been making a home in his hood, he doesn't really have a choice.

He turns, swinging his bag onto his shoulder in one fluid motion, and offers a very nervous smile. He flaps his hand about right in front of his face, trying to both dismiss the man and obscure his own traits. The less this man can recognize, the better.]

Eh? No, no! Just doin' my part and spreading a little love and peace through the city! Take care!

[The coat is certainly different, just as much as anything else is, but that could just be a product of the environment -- there's new clothes a'plenty around here, after all. What really ends up giving it away, though, is the "love and peace." Livio gets up to follow Vash with a hearty laugh, and refrains from clapping him on the back only because of the little one nestled in his hood.]

Aw, c'mon now, Mister the Stampede, y'can't just go runnin' off on me, now! Y'really had me goin' there fer a second, what with the new getup. Where ya off to all in a hurry -- an' fer that matter, how'd ya end up here, too?

[The line of Vash's shoulders visibly goes rigid, the moment he hears his "name." The balls of his feet itch with the need to run, to flee full tilt into the nearest patch of grass, plans and work be damned. But given the fact that this man hasn't taken a hint so far... he doesn't think he'll be given the mercy of a clean getaway.

Instead, he waits until he's outside at least, out of the way of any poor dining citizens, and in full view of any nearby Jennys. It's only then that he turns and pushes himself up to his full height.]

Whoever you are... whatever you're doing. That's not the way this place works. [His voice is even, but low, and laced with a very clear warning.] You woke up without guns, same as me. It's not how things work. So leave your bounty in the past, and let me go. For the good of everyone else in town, okay?

[As much as his stature might not be intimidating compared to Livio, Vash's overly hostile attitude deflates him a little bit. His head tilts and he stares for a moment, not unlike a giant puppy, before he scratches at the back of his neck.]

Uh... I dunno what yer talkin' about, Vash. Even if we were home, I'd never try t'turn ya in after everythin' ya did fer me.

Did for you...?

[Those shoulders relax, but only just a hint. His eyes remain narrowed, but it's more out of focus than suspicion at this point, at least? He racks his brain, trying to find anyone that matches the profile that this man presents. He's... pretty sure he'd remember someone of this sheer amount of size. Never mind the distinctive tattoos on his face.]

Ah, I'm real sorry buddy but... that's not really ringin' a bell. You got a name, maybe?

[Is it silly for him to feel guilty over something like this? Maybe. Yet it stabs sharply into his gut all the same. Surely no one with ill intent would manage a puppy dog look like that, right?]

[Well, this is getting more confusing by the second. This clearly is Vash, despite everything, but... he's either playing dumb or actually lost some memories? Livio wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to distance themselves from him, but this would seem an especially cruel manner of doing so from Vash of all people. So, that just leaves the alternative, somehow.]

Y'really don't remember me? Alright, then... I'm Livio. Nice t'meet ya, uh... again?

Livio?!

[Vash's eyes all but bulge out of his skull. Of course he knows the name — how could he forget. But the last he'd seen of that man, he'd had a gun to his head and, well...

He doesn't want to think about that any longer than necessary, thank you!

Instead, Vash lifts his hands up into the air. He forms a V with them — the vague body type of the Livio he knew. Then he takes a step back and widens his posture, framing the Livio in front of him instead. The gesture repeats itself a few times before - ]

Eh?!

[Vash's response is enough to get a little jolt out of Livio, who is now, of course, even more flabbergasted than ever. Is this some sort of face-blindness?

... And now Vash is trying to say something about his shape?]

Look, all I had since that lil town was some trail mix an' one tiny lunch, so I was real hungry. But I don't think this made me that much bigger...

Wh - no, that's not...

[Vash lifts his hand, palming at his face several times. He ends up wincing, because of course he'd use the metal hand for something like that. Idiot behavior.]

You... I just saw you before - on the Sand Steamer and...

[He leans over to the side, peering at Livio's right temple. And when peering isn't enough, he outright squints.]

I watched you die, Livio. Wolfwood and I were trying to pull you out, and instead...

[He winces at the memory.]

Never mind the fact that you were way smaller. Like... you could break, uh, you over your knee, small.

[Something about this is very not right. To his knowledge, Livio was never on a sand steamer with Vash. And Vash should know despite Elendira's best efforts, he never actually died. He has a mind to remind Vash, but then his blood runs cold. Once more, he's staring, but it's out of shock.]

Nico...?

[His head suddenly throbs, and he lifts a hand to rub idly at his temple. He tries to focus on drowning out the ringing in his ears, unsure of how long he stands there before swallowing and finding his voice again, quiet as it is.]

I don't know what's goin' on, but that ain't right. Can't be.

[Well, if anything assuages the lingering doubts at the back of Vash's mind, it's that nickname. He swallows, looking unsteady as his shoulders finally droop. He, too, takes the time to rub at his head, ruffling his own hair before dropping his arms entirely.]

You're telling me...

[And with a tip of his head, he motions toward the nearby bay.]

Maybe we oughta sit down and start from the beginning?

[That sounds fair enough. Livio gives a wordless nod, and follows after Vash. Some childish part of him wants to put off this conversation, or avoid it entirely. He doesn't want to think about it any more than is absolutely necessary; it's still too fresh.

At least for now, he can keep his mind occupied by observing the Mimikyu in Vash's hood.]

Cute critter y'got. [Even if it is uncanny that it never blinks.]

livio // trigun maximum

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just gonna slap a blanket cw: suicide imagery going forward.

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