014 [audio]

[tapestodiane]

[So, Johto. Haven’t heard things from Coop’s end for a while now, have you? Well, nothing outrageous has happened to him (that he wants to talk about, anyway), and he hasn’t had anything interesting to tell or show you guys (the trees in Goldenrod are clearly inferior to those in Ilex, pfff), but here he is again, with an inquiry which might make you recall the one from two months ago. Brought to you in the business-like voice you all know (and love?).]

I’d like to know what you were doing prior to your arrival here. And I’m not talking about occupations or roles in society but the more immediate moments leading up to finding yourself in this world. The replies I received to my last question to the network indicates that our starters are somehow significant and perhaps more information can be gathered about our current situation from the circumstances we were in before being brought here.

[Again – he’s investigating.]

[And that sounds like it might be all, but wait! There’s more.]

Oh, and I almost forgot. If anyone in or near Goldenrod comes across a Manectric that answers to Tricia, she belongs to me. While she has been excited about the rain I did not imagine she would be resourceful enough to find a way to escape my hotel room in order to be out in it. But that only goes to show that you should always double-check your windows if you prefer to keep your pokémon outside of their pokéballs.

[YEAH, his Manectric somehow got out through a window. (Spoiler: Coop's Vulpix is some kind of hyper-intelligent prodigy and opened it.) A good thing Coop’s floor isn’t very high up and that the Manectric has more lives than she has the right to have, considering she’s not, in fact, a cat with nine ones to spare. Feel free to find/have spotted her and tell Coop about it! (several of you can, I'm not very picky about suchthings.)]

[If anyone wants Action, he’s hanging around the Goldenrod hotel lobby with a cup of coffee and a bunch of papers.]

Comments

[action]

[adamant]

[ That provokes an answering smile from Leon; which is to say, the corners of his lips briefly soften. ] Guess so. [ He motions to the chair across from Cooper. ]

May I sit?

[action]

[tapestodiane]

Feel free.

_{[He offers a handshake along with an introduction.]}

Dale Cooper.

[action]

[adamant]

Leon.

[ He accepts the handshake, his grip firm. At the invitation, he settles down with a sound of belts and creaking leather. ]

So you've been investigating the reasons we were brought here? Any conclusions?

[action]

[tapestodiane]

_{[By contrast, Coop's suit doesn't make a sound as he gets his notes out of the way, organising them in a neat stack to the side.]}

I've been trying to.

What I have been thinking about lately is whether or not the people brought here are picked at random. The amount of thought pertaining to our starters indicates that we are chosen or researched, but it's only a theory.

[action]

[adamant]

[ He nods. ]

It's frustrating how little information we have about any of this. Not to mention all the other holes here.

[ Like where that protein substitute comes from... 'mystery meat' indeed. ]

[action]

[tapestodiane]

Yes. I am mostly interested in the reason we are taken here to begin with, myself, but I have a feeling we may never know.

_{[There's a slight rise of his eyebrows and a tug to his mouth, not necessarily indicating that he feels troubled by this.]}

I guess we will have to enjoy it here for however long it lasts.

[action]

[adamant]

[ He turns his head, watching the rain fall. ]

It's...an easy place to live in. [ Again--all's relative. ] Still, I've got a lot of work waiting for me back home.

[action]

[tapestodiane]

You and me both.

_{[Finishing his coffee, he rests his hands on the table, icon-style.]}

How long have you been here?

[action]

[adamant]

[ Leon crosses his arms, not unlike in the icon, thinking. ]

Since October. So that's...six months, now. [ ...how depressing. ] You?

[action]

[tapestodiane]

Same. I got here late October.

_{[A brief pause.]}

Hard to believe such a long stretch of time has passed, isn't it?

[action]

[adamant]

[ A hum of agreement. ] It doesn't feel like that long, until I take stock of the things I've done, the people I've met... [ It's odd, knowing he'll forget all of this when he goes. He glances back at Cooper. ] What were you doing before you got here?

[action]

[tapestodiane]

_{[Coop's not a psychic (except he is) (except he isn't) but he's thinking in the same way.]}

Leaving this world behind is going to be strange. I hope I can remember it - especially the people and pokémon in it.

I worked with the law enforcement.

_{[The 'and yourself?' isn't spoken but indicated in a small tilt of his head, curious.]}

[action]

[adamant]

[ Leon's brows raise, very lightly, in curiosity, or perhaps recognition. ] I run the...city guard, I guess you could call it. It's like a militia.

[ That was the way he'd described it for Lightning, figuring it was more recognizable than talking of worlds or Heartless. It's served him well. ]

Nowadays we mostly handle the reconstruction. I keep hoping I can brimg my team home with me... [ He feels a bit frivolous admitting it, but damn, having Steelix around to do demo work would save them so much time. ]

[action] I already love this CR to pieces

[tapestodiane]

You've been at war?

_{[He leaps at the assumption, but not without reason. At the last comment, there's the indication of a smile.]}

If I can't bring mine but will keep the memory of them I imagine I will have to get a pet of some kind. I have grown quite accustomed to their company.

[action] so worth the wait *A*

[adamant]

[ A nod, his expression darkening. ] Yeah, except the enemy wasn't human. [ Never has he been happier to use the past tense. ]

It's over now, though. At least... I hope so. [ Radiant Garden's been through so much shit, they all deserve a break. The restoration needs to happen. ]

[action] -predicts silly drawings of these in future-

[tapestodiane]

What was it?

_{[Coop is immediately interested, and frowns a little, leaning forward.]}

I'm glad to hear it. War one kind of fight that can never truly be won.

[action] fffffff yessss *3*

[adamant]

[ He looks sharply at Cooper, eyes as stormy as the sky outside the window. ]

Ever heard of a 'Heartless'?

[action]

[tapestodiane]

_{[He leans back a little, as if trying to take the edge of that sharp gaze. He's not trying to intrude.]}

Not outside of the metaphorical sense, no.

[action] bedtime for me~! Night!

[adamant]

[ He's hardly angry at Cooper, but there are few things that spark as much of a visceral reaction in Leon as Heartless do. ]

They're beings made of shadow; the manifestation of the darkness in people's hearts.

[action] hahah then maybe I can get some work done. :| seeya later! <3

[tapestodiane]

_{[Coop could tell, really - it was more an act of instinct.]}

The evil that men do ...

_{[He quotes this to himself, looking very thoughtful for a moment before looking up at Leon with renewed focus.]}

Can you tell me more about them?

[action] ffff my tags aren't a reason to skimp work<3

[adamant]

They're attracted to light, and consume that which they lack--the hearts of people, but also of worlds. They're like a...a sort of parasite.

[ Like a fungus, or a virus; you can treat the symptoms, but it takes some very specific medicine to wipe the problem out at its root. ]

[action] yes they are. xD but I'm also the greatest at finding any excuse sooo

[tapestodiane]

_{[And Coop would like to know what that medicine could be.]}

How did you fight them?

_{[It's a bit more relevant to his interests than he might let on.]}

[action]

[adamant]

[ Leon leans back in his seat. ]

Magic, mainly. Magic-enhanced weapons. [ Mundane weapons, like Sora's toy sword, were useless. ] Takes a keyblade to get rid of them for good, though.

[action]

[tapestodiane]

_{[There's another small smile at that. A bit in wonder, really.]}

So there's magic in your world.

_{[But he's also good at getting back to business. He's not going to ask about the details when it comes to the weapons but is very interested in these Heartless.]}

Does anyone know why or how they come into existance?

[action]

[adamant]

[ A small nod. ]

You're not the first person I've met who didn't have functional magic back home. [ Still, no magic at all? How do they get anything done? ] It's so odd to think of a world without it...

As for the Heartless, they've always been around, but they weren't a problem until about a decade ago.