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]

[ 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.

[action]

[tapestodiane]

It's odd to think of a world with it. Magic was always a tale where I'm from.

<sub>[Some had believed in it, some hadn't - Coop didn't exactly have a stance on the matter other than the belief that were some things in the world that you could never understand.]

[And excuse his many questions, Leon. Frowning slightly, he asks another one.]</sub>

What happened a decade ago?

[action]

[adamant]

[ A tiny huff. ] The heartless were supposed to be a tale. [ Something to scare small children into behaving. He continues, a bit tersely: ] Ten years ago, someone went snooping where he shouldn't have.

[ And damned all the worlds. Leon doesn't mind the questions--far from it--but they're conjuring up unhappy memories. He might be more willing to expand if he got to know Coop better. ]

[action]

[tapestodiane]

And the consequences were grave.

_{[He says it halfway to himself before it trails off into a silent understanding. He doesn't feel like he needs to know much else on the topic after that, at least not right now.]}

[action] let me know if this is okay?

[adamant]

[ There's a few moments of silence before Leon's socially handicapped brain catches on to the fact the onus is on him to continue the conversation. He opens his mouth to speak, but a resounding bark cuts him off. Startled, he looks behind Coop, at the inn's sliding doors, open to the crash of rain and rumbling thunder.

Lucky the Growlithe apparently decided not only to go gallivanting off in the rain, she also seems to have picked up a friend doing so. Standing next to Lucky is Tricia the Manectric, both soaked, muddy and endlessly pleased with themselves. Leon, baffled, shakes his head and moves to get up. Hint: he's about to get seriously soaked by two shaking dogs. ]

[action] that's absolutely fine! c:

[tapestodiane]

_{[Following Leon's gaze, Cooper does a double-take before getting up as well, holding up his hand in the stop-motion everyone knows, a signal to Tricia to stay where she is. ...she completely ignores him, caught up in running up to the two men along with the other canine. And while Coop does have her pokeball on him, she's suddenly there, leaping at first him and then Leon in her excitement. I have a new friend and there's rain and mud and weird fish everywhere!!!]}

[action] /icon matching~!

[adamant]

[ Leon reaches for his growlithe, but not in time to stop her. The inevitable happens: the dogs shake themselves. While Tricia's pelt may be smooth, Lucky's is decidedly not, spraying both men with mud and rainwater. Well, shit. ]

Lucky-- down! [ That's Leon Boss Voice, when shit needs getting done, and it sounds probably not unlike Coop's business tone, only more aggressive. It has the desired effect, though, which is to make Lucky sit and droop obediently. Leon turns to Coop, apologetic. ]

Sorry, she doesn't usually act like this... [ Well, not in front of strangers, at any rate. ]