francia | [Post 035] Video/Text/Action for Olivine City

[Video/Text]

[France's face comes onto the feed looking... Well, he certainly doesn't look happy. In fact, he looks like he's trying very hard not to be sad, his expression somewhere between painfully repressed panic and abject despair. It appears that he has something he wants to tell the network, but he can't seem to make himself open his mouth. Or maybe he can, but, if he did, he'd probably end up screaming. This uncomfortable moment lasts for a substantial amount of time before France cancels the transmission.]

[A few minutes later, the following open text appears.]

It appears that Romano has left this place. He is, at the very least, missing. He disappeared somewhere in the late evening to early morning hours of this past Saturday to Sunday.

If anyone has more information, please contact me.

[Action]

[France is in the storage room of the Olivine City Restaurant, hiding there until the place closes. His shift is over, but he doesn't want to go back to the hotel, where he's been sharing a room with Romano. All of Romano's personal effects are still there, including the clothes France made for him and the new ones that France had just started working on. There's the premade meals in the mini-fridge for Romano to eat while France is at work, and there's Toro's pokeball on the dresser, which reminds France also of Spain, who's been gone for almost a year now. All those little things...]

[France puts his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees, and cries.]

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[That earns Cooper a weak but sincerely grateful smile. He sighs heavily, passing the cuffs of his chef uniform over his eyes.]

The worst part -

[He breaks off with sound between the sigh and and the humorless laugh, his face drawn into a grimace.]

I don't even know what the worst part is.

The uncertainty.

_{[That's always what tormented him the most - not knowing if they'd come back, if they'd come back with their memories or not, not knowing if they'd be okay in their worlds ... and then there's also the helplessless in knowing there is absolutely nothing you can do to prevent them from disappearing.]}

[France makes a strangled noise and bows his head.]

Yeah...

[He breathes out shakily.]

The existence of a Nation isn't supposed to be this uncertain.

Well ... Johto never made a habit of playing by the rules.

_{[He stops for a moment, eyes softening a little more.]}

Or the rules are ones we just don't understand.

[France nods slowly, a bitter smile on his lips.]

Probably something of both. It seems to have a fondness for horror stories.

[He shakes his head.]

Soul-stealing of all things...

You still think about that?

_{[A little quietly, perhaps - he knows he would.]}

[A slightly nervous laugh.]

It's not an event that I can hope to forget, even if I wasn't a Nation. Our memories are already quite long.

_{[He nods, slowly, frowns slightly.]}

Sounds like you have a lot on your mind.

[Post 035] Video/Text/Action for Olivine City

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