Diane ... fever still high.

[Oh hi there Coop - been pretty quiet on the network lately, haven't you? And go figure that this time, it's a mistake to adress it anyway. But he's feverish enough not to question the fact that he's speaking into his Gear, not his usual audio recorder. He sounds tired and weak and somewhat scratchy, and like he has minor trouble articulating the words.]

Persistant pain and soreness in my back and ... [Lengthy, troubled pause.] ... I have to say, Diane, whatever these things are, they're causing me a lot of trouble.

Skin still turning rusty, although thankfully not in a literal sense. The patterns are similar to Lichtenberg figures, but I can't ...

[Trails off. Sighs.]

I find it difficult to think like this, much less speculate. Buddha once said that the mind can't be strong and clear if the body isn't kept in good health, but this is an illness I don't know how to fight.

I believe perhaps some air would do me good.


[ACTION for Ecruteak; He's out in the rain. For once, he's dressed very casually - t-shirt and jeans, actually - but that's not the most eye-catching thing right now. Like many others, he's got Symptoms. And his are of the Level 5 Fire variety. Skin is a mottled brown-red hue down his back and shoulders and upper arms, that are also lined with darker, feathery lines. Entei's influence is clear in the broken mask on his face and spikes down his back. He's not particularly happy ... but at least he's not the only one looking abnormal.]

[Suddenly, on a video feed near you for no reason whatsoever, a llama.]

[A llama with a crush on our special agent.]



[OTP.]

[Also, talk about deja vu.]


(As per usual, action absolutely anywhere, with or without llamas! GO WILD. I want all of you!)

[There's a sound a bit like static, then some rustling and clicking. Following that, a trill, a whistle, and something Talking Bird Julee feels she obviously has to share with the world:]

Diane. Diane.

[A few more clicks - probably from her beak. She has a pretty light voice, but she goes darker for the next line.]

Holy smokes.

[And then she'll just be whistling the tune to I've Told Ev'ry Little Star for a while. Who knows where Cooper is - probably off getting a caffeine fix or something.]


(backdated to April 19th!)

[Valentine's daaay! And guess who's really giddy for it?]

[Now, Coop's probably figured out that the cheer most people are feeling is enhanced somehow, even if he doesn't know the reason for it - but he chose to embrace it rather than fight it, because there is absolutely no reason to do the latter. He's content to feel genuinely happy, for once. Correction: he's enjoying the hell out of it.]

Good afternoon, Johto! Who else got eggs this morning?

[Is he excited about the prospect of getting another baby pokémon to his collection? Yep, actually. He's even more excited to see just what it'll hatch into.]

It seems the only holiday that hasn't treated us to these so far is Halloween, but given the nature of that particular celebration I can't say I find it all too surprising.

[And a bright smile at the feed.]

You know, I never much cared for Valentine's Day, but this is shaping up to be a damn fine day regardless of the significance of today's date.


[And Action for anyone in Goldenrod, where he'll be strolling about pretty much anywhere, back in his natural element (a suit) and looking pretty damn happy with pretty much everything for very little reason. He'll be quick to banter, praise and/or various displays of affection today, so have at him!]

(--also tags might be late because oh wow sudden rush of tired, sorry!)

[It's probably been a while since the network heard from this guy. It's safe to say he's been preoccupied - between being lightly obsessed with Tetris, the Halloween possession thing happening (which actually affected him more than he cares to admit), the train hijacking and those three days ... he's had a lot to think about. And, in truth, still has.]

[But Christmas perked him up and with the new year just around the proverbial corner he's feeling like things just might get better, and you know what else never fails to lift his spirits?]

[Local wildlife.]

[That's right. So today the network is treated to a video of a group of trees. It's pretty early so the sunlight is warm and yellow and sparkles just so in the snow, and as the video sloooowly zooms in on one tree in particular ... you can see there's a Hoothoot snugly nestled in a hollow of the trunk, looking asleep and kind of ruffled up.]

[It's actually a very beautiful image, because Cooper has a tendency to catch them like that.]

[And then he zooms out. ...no, wait, he's zooming in again - a little closer this time, really focusing on that sleepy little owl. Despite his thing with birds, he can always appreciate them from a distance. And this little fellow is admittedly very cute.]

Look at that.

The spitting image of comfort. Right there.

[He sounds sort of breathless and utterly wistful, then zooms out again just for a pan of the scenery - snowy tree trunks and the little lake behind him. The water isn't all frozen yet so the sunlight gets to show off in the surface there, too, before Coop aims the gear back towards the bird and zooms in on it again.]

Almost makes you jealous, doesn't it?

[Action for anyone in Ecruteak! He's hanging out just on the edge of the forest, stalking the wildlife.]

Does anyone else play Tetris?

_{[Guess who finally discovered the game apps on his 'gear! And guess who's been playing the games ever since! Spoiler: this guy. Cooper sounds pretty excited, actually, in that almost kid-like way that the ones who know him will probably recognise. He speaks fast and chipper.]}

Damn good game. Very engaging, very challenging. I've yet to get past the 100 lines mark, but I'd very much like to believe I'm getting there.

_{[Beat. You know, sometimes he really doesn't want to be here, but this games-in-the-gears-thing certainly picked him up.]}

Falling puzzle pieces _[:D] ... that Minesweeper game isn't half bad, either. And if I've got my facts right there are more games available for purchase at the PokéMarts. So, Network: any recommendations?

_{[You should be able to HEAR the grin in his voice, seriously.]} Nothing like a good game to keep you occupied.


_[Action _{for anyone in Ecruteak! You're likely to find him somewhere in the middle of town on a park bench or something, cross-legged with an Eevee asleep in his lap, playing Tetris on his 'gear like a boss.]}

( Diane ... )

[Private audio to France:] France, it's Cooper. Are you still in Ecruteak?
_{[He sounds sort of tired, but otherwise carefully neutral.]}

[Action:] _{[You can run into him anywhere in Ecruteak, where he'll be spending time walking practically every street, looking a little closed off. Unless you find him by night - he'll be near the lake, looking at the half moon.]}

[Audio, broadcasted to the network; nighttime:] All things considered, it wasn't too long ago people believed you would go crazy if the moon shone on you while you slept.
<sub>[Enjoy that little bit of information, Johto.]



(ooc: BACKDATED to thursday the 18th.)</sub>

I imagine quite a number of you are taking the gym challenge, but I'm curious as to what reason. Boredom? Some kind of obligation? That it just might lead to a way home?

I'm not sure. Either way I recently earned my second badge and expect to head back to Goldenrod in the near future. [A small pause here and his voice takes on a wistful little note.] Am quite excited to return to Ilex Forest. I believe it will be a beautiful sight and an invigorating hike.

[Click! Both badges are obviously mod-approved. And action for anyone in Azalea - if you find him, he's hanging from a tree by his knees, kid-style, browsing his pokégear while doing so and ... looking quite comfortable. Any gear-replies will be done in this fashion, too. Have fun with that!]

[AUDIO]: Is this turning into a regular event? I'm not sure I consider myself a fan.

[Or, in other words, guess who remembers the last 4th wall! Words are spoken in a sort of tense harsh tone, because he doesn't really like this whole thing. Obviously.]


[ACTION]: Feel free to run into him absolutely anywhere between Olivine and New Bark, as he's experimenting with the suddenly very easy distances. He'll probably be fiddling with a ring on his left little finger and looking a little stressed. (There are, once again, birds everywhere.  Poor guy.)