Dance Dance electrocution.

Lucerne tugged at her new Ribbon, it was longer than her first, so she needed to tie the bow bigger. The larger ribbon also matched her fins(?). overall she thought it made her look really cute. She still wished to maybe get some eyeliner from the boutique, but she didn't have the money.

adjusting her bow she walked into the town square. something was different. there was music playing! she looked around and saw a small band set up, with a donation box. Street performers!

She rushed over, and disregarding her current lack of funds, threw a couple poke into the box. She requested something graceful, and after a few moments a new song started to play.

Lucerne smiled. concentrating, she surrounded herself with the comforting feeling that she used to summon aqua ring. Soon enough water droplets in the air started swirling around her, and she began to dance.

As she twirled around to the tune, she brushed the rings as the spun, each time sending out a small amount of mist, which was pulled around by the force of the aqua ring. Lucerne manipulated the rings with her movements, spinning them like hula hoops at some points and at others tilting them with her movements.

Before she knew it the song was over, and her grin was almost too wide for her face. She even seemed to have brought in a few more people into the small crowd around the band. She stood there, taking in the moment, letting people appreciate her beauty. It was great.

It was, once again, a rare occasion for Raze; he actually wasn't out on an exploration! It wasn't that things were slow, but even he had his limits. Heh, maybe having the day off isn't a bad thing. Tons of cool stuff around town anyways! he thought, tightening the knot on his Joy Ribbon while keeping a fairly brisk pace on his stroll through town. Like his prayers for something interesting to happen were answered, the faint sound of music caught the Minun's ear. ...Mhm, called it. he noted with a nod, picking up the pace to a jog towards the area radiating the harmonic sounds. Upon closer inspection, a band of street performers were playing whilst a small crowd gathered. Almost as if by nature, the Minun managed to weave through the crowd to see what was going on. Being small has its benefits, I'll admit.

Sidestepping past a civilian in the crowd, the Electric type was able to see a Buizel performing along with the music. "Dang, they're pretty good..." he murmured with a soft whistle. An odd ring of moisture circled the Pokémon as it went through fluid and smooth movements, the array shifting and rotating at intervals that pulled the entire appearance together. By the time it was over, Raze had slipped to the front of the crowd and applauded with a smile. Then, it occurred to him; did he actually have any moves? Sure, the Electric type was nimble and acrobatic, but how would he meet something like that? Overall, he had no idea of how to think of something to do, but he had a feeling that this kind of thing was in its blood. If his species was the Cheering Pokémon, he had to have some natural sense for this kind of thing.

Approaching the Buizel, Raze was still in a sense of awe as to how it was capable of such a demonstration. "Whoa, nice one out there! Could hardly tear my eyes off of you during that, looked great! Name's Raze, future Grassveil Guild member." he said with a grin, offering his black dyed hand to the Water type. Other than Pilot, this was the first Pokémon he had met with a major type disadvantage. Then again, Plusle and Minun were not exactly common species around Grassveil. The mouse paid little attention to how the Buizel would react, but then again, what were the odds that they had heard of a black Minun?

Lucerne didn't notice the small pokemon until he was right behind her. She loved the praise she was getting, and was about to respond, when she turned around and got a good look at the Pokemon. A small mouse like pokemon with cheek pouches.

Alarm bells started ringing in in Lucerne's head. Maybe it was instinctual, but whatever the reason she knew this pokemon was an electric type. Her blood ran cold. All sense and logic went out the window. her aqua ring dropped as she lost concentration.

Then a high pitched shriek pierced the busy town. Lucerne backed up without thinking and slipped on the puddle her aqua ring had made when it fell. Trying to regain control only made things worse, as she now was flailing, and falling, in the direction of the Electric mouse.

The Electric type gave a curious headtilt whilst dropping his arm. The Buizel... was backing away from him? "Huh? What's up? Was it something I said?" he asked curiously. Sure, there was a type disadvantage, but this was the first Pokémon he'd noticed to have a fear of him because of it. This wasn't even before a sparring match! Gee, guess she's really scared, eh? Weird, but whatever. Probably something happened in the past, I won't hold it against her. Raze thought with a light nod. Suddenly, whilst backing away, the Water type slipped on a puddle from her fizzled Aqua Ring, sending her falling right into him.

With a reflex almost second nature, the Minun pivoted on his heel and stuck his arms out to block her from falling completely over. "Y-You okay...? Look, I don't want to be a bit of a downer here, but you're a little heavy-"  Raze began, only to hold his tongue when it was too late. "U-Um, n-no! What I meant was t-that I'm small, you're not heavy at all! I'm j-just a little weak is all, hehe-!" he stammered, trying to correct his mistake. Had his arms not been up to support her, the mouse would have facepalmed here and there. Idiot, idiot, idiot! Nice going, you just called her fat. No, really, smooth.

Lucerne was still scrambling, trying to get ahold of her senses. When The mouse commented on her weight she finally got ahold of herself. How dare he! She was in excellent shape! then she realised she was still on top of him, also he was holding her back from completely crushing her.

Lucerne rolled away from the small mouse, and started taking deep breaths. Her cheeks started turning red when she realised how the situation developed. The crowd that had been watching her had seen it all. She looked like a fool, and even more this mouse was making fun of her.

"Just leave me alone!" Lucerne said, getting up.

No matter how much he could tell that she was embarrassed, Raze was so red in the face that even the black dyed parts of his cheeks turned a rich crimson."I-It's not like that, I just- Y-You know I didn't mean it like- Argh, this is hard to explain myself!" he sighed in disappointment. How could just a simple phrase uttered in the wrong way end so badly for the Cheering Pokémon? Though not all would see the way he did, the Minun didn't see this Buizel as pitiful or anything. In fact, how could he? Raze had never met this stranger yet was already mesmerized by their talent enough for him to not care. Bah, I wouldn't care anyways! She seems nice regardless, the dancing is just a little extra.

That aside, the mouse still felt bad about the miscommunication. "...What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry about calling you fat and for scaring you. Can we just forget about it, maybe?" he offered with an apologetic look. With the whole ordeal barely passing over, Raze felt like a massive jerk for his comment.

"uh, lets finish this conversation somewhere else" Lucerne said, feeling embarrassed and vulnerable in the town square, everyone seeing her make a fool of herself.

She grabbed the arm of the electric mouse and started leading him away. She found an alley with some crates not far from the square, after sitting down on one she took a few deep breaths to collect her thoughts. She had fallen on the mouse and she needed to apologize, even if his very presence made her fur stand on end. She took a deep breath, and then spoke

"I'm sorry, for falling on you. It's not like I'm really scared of electric types, they just make me feel uneasy." Lucerne said, trying to keep eye contact "I was unprepared and I freaked out, I'm sorry for causing a scene. I'm also sorry for being a part of that scene, Mother Mew I am so embarrassed."

Lucerne looked away, instinctively trying to hide her embarrassment. She was still mad at the mouse for calling her heavy, and also kinda for freaking her out, but she set that aside because She needed to apologize first. Oh! she almost forgot to introduce herself.

"I should probably introduce myself, I'm Lucerne of team sweet tails." Lucerne said, starting to offer a paw shake but stopping abruptly when she remembered his type.

Yeah, I guess that we could talk somewhere a bit more private. People staring at me wouldn't be the best thing during this, I guess. he thought with a shrug and a smile. Allowing the Buizel to lead him into a small alley, Raze barely managed to climb atop of a smaller, stray crate. He kept a relaxed composure while the Buizel spoke, yet protested at the end. "Don't be! Heck, I embarrass myself tons of times. This is like a drop in the bucket for me, to be honest." the Minun said with a smirk. Despite his tone and expression, he was actually serious about it; if moping over every little episode of embarrassment was his thing, would he get anywhere with no confidence?

"And yeah, it's cool. I don't mind if you're a little uneasy around me, I get that a lot." he replied. Though this was stretching the truth, some people actually were uneasy around Raze because of his overexcited nature and impulsive stupidity mindset. He didn't blame them as much as he blamed himself, but that was just the way things were. Seeing as Lucerne, as she introduced herself as, didn't seem willing to shake hands, the mouse nodded and gave a small, casual salute. "Nice to meet you, though!"

"uh nice to meet you, uh Raze" Lucerne said, getting down off the crate. "I'm going to leave now, see you around"

Lucerne was happy that things had turned out mildly ok. There was the whole public embarrassment thing, but maybe a swim in the lake would help relax her. She also needed to go check the dojo, and swing by the boutique for some window shopping. She really needed to finish a job.

In any event Lucerne started walking away, trying to put Raze out of her mind. That was an impressive dye job, it worked well on him, but she wasn't sure how the Ribbon he wore affected the whole look. She wish she had the money to splurge on some good makeup, maybe she could get some highlights on her tuft of fur on her hair, maybe curl it? Water proof makeup must be super expensive.

"Okay, I guess. See you-" he began, only to stop himself. This was an actual explorer! If he planned on joining the guild, Raze had to eventually become comfortable with Lucerne and vice versa. "Wait, can I ask you something first? Promise I'll let you ask something in return!" he called over with a smile. The mouse jumped up from his seated position and walked over to Lucerne - allowing some space between the two, of course, seeing as she wasn't quite fond of his typing. Here we go, just make small talk or something. Anything just so that it isn't awkward later... I've got it! the mouse thought with a deep breath. Okay, here we go...

"So, um... Team Sweet Tails, eh? Nice name for your team, sounds really fitting." he began with a grin. "So I take it that you're already part of the guild, huh? What's it like? Really busy? What's your team like? Is it like a group of friends, a high standard type of thing, or going solo?" It was a bit more for a simple curiosity expression than Raze had estimated at first, but it would have to do. Guild members had their own different ways of running things, and asking was the way to find out Lucerne's.

Lucerne was unsettled by the enthusiasm and presence of Raze. She really wanted to just walk away, but she Did at least owe him enough to answer his questions. Though It wasn't like she had actually done any guild business, or could fight, or anything really. This was going to be awkward

"Uh, well... It's actually not that busy, or rather It's as busy as you want it to be. as far as I understand it you take jobs at whatever pace you're comfortable with, not that I would know. I haven't actually taken a job" Lucerne said, making an effort to smile. Here we go "I really just joined. I didn't even know you could make a solo team, but here I am."

She had to stop herself from saying You have to take jobs at a pace your wallet is comfortable with, but she didn't want to be that petty. at least she was pretty sure that's what that word meant. Anyway even with the free meals and lodgings, she didn't have enough money for any of the finer things. Lucerne wondered how the little guy got the money for that dye job, The boutique's prices were outrageous.

{OOC: Sorry for the short post this time, I was half paying attention to some other work. The next post will be a bit more detailed, okay? Thanks! ^_^}

The Minun was a bit shocked. Lucerne hadn't taken a job yet? That's odd... Maybe when I join, we could do a two team mission or something. Raze thought. The idea was quickly dispelled when he remembered her uneasiness around Electric types. ...Oh yeah. Shame, really; I actually wouldn't mind taking a job with her. The description of schedules, however, was not what he expected. "That's pretty cool, I guess. I always thought that there was some kind of usual schedule and all of that, you know? That's a relief, I guess." he said with a lighthearted chuckle.

His black hand shifted over to scratch the back of his head. Perhaps this was a bit too much procrastination for just joining? The Cheering Pokémon shrugged it off and decided against applying. Even still did he not feel as if his abilities were up to par with where he wanted to be. Sure, other explorers said otherwise, but it was Raze's own opinion of himself that mattered in the end. "Well, that's my question, I guess. Now it's your turn, got anything for me?" he asked with a curious expression.

"well," Lucerne said, crossing her arms "I am curious, how did you get the money for that dye job, or is that natural? I can't remember too well, I think that you guys are either pink or blue."

Maybe there was some way for Lucerne to earn money without having to learn how to fight. she may be able to put off that unpleasant experience for a while. She could focus on her looks, who wouldn't want to be saved by a beautiful explorer with a cute outfit?

Lucerne hung onto that nice mental image, but she had to start working some time, She owed it to them... She didn't want to admit to not being able to fight, but maybe she didn't have to, just fudge the facts a bit. A few lies wouldn't hurt too much. right?

"uh one other thing. I'm kind of broke, since I haven't gotten a job done, I figure I may be able to tackle some jobs if I get some more training, but the dojo costs money, do you know anyone who may be able to give me some pointers for free?" Lucerne asked, lying through her teeth.

The mouse tilted his head in confusion. Lucerne wanted to know... about his dye job? It was an odd request, but he replied anyways. "That's a bit of a shocker... But sure, I guess. I went to Dandy's a while back and chose out a color. Black seemed cool and useful for stealth, so I just went with it. It was really cheap because he didn't use much; I'm so small that I barely needed any!" he finished with a grin. As a bit more of a visual, Raze bent his arm at a 90 degree angle in front of him to show off his coal-colored forearm. The dull, murky dye gave off no shine, almost looking as if he was born with it. "Mostly just for looks. I think I can remove it if I want, though."

When the Buizel asked about training, Raze's eyes lit up. "That's more like it! I could help you out a little if you want. Promise I won't shock you or anything." he swore with a cocky wink. The Minun had visited the Dojo but decided against training there for personal reasons. He found it easier to train in the open areas around Grassveil for the sensation of not feeling confined to the walls of the establishment. Ah, who am I kidding? Those guys who train there could kick my tail if I sparred with them. Once I get myself in better condition, though, they're all going down! he thought, shrugging and locking eyes with Lucerne in an excited way once more. "How about it? That is, if you're comfortable enough."

Abort! ABORT! No no no, This is bad. Now he thinks Lucerne could actually fight at some level. She just needed to turn him down that's all. Just say That she's too uncomfortable with the type disadvantage to fight with him, that's it! that'll work.

Of course as she was thinking this time continued to pass, and she just stood their for a couple of seconds with a blank look on her face. Lucerne didn't actually notice this, and just picked up where she left off.

"Well, um There is the whole type disadvantage, and I don't think either of us wants to get wet right now, I need to ask someone what kind of fabric this bow is made out of, don't want it to shrink on me. and really what I'm trying to say Is we can't exactly use our moves to fight each other right?" Lucerne said, hoping this would end it.

[Perfect opportunity for raze to say they should fight without their moves or something, it would really help Lucerne with digging her own grave, but it's up to you.]