francia | [Post 039] Video/Action for Saffron City and Route 7 [Backdated to 30th of May]

Current Location: saffron city outskirts towards route 7

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[Post 039] Video/Action for Saffron City and Route 7 [Backdated to 30th of May]

[The feed opens up to the outskirts of Saffron City just before Route 7 sometime in the mid-afternoon. It's a picturesque scene: green, summer-lush trees, well-combed grass, and a herd of multi-seasonal Deerling dotting the scope of the camera. The focus of the shot shifts after a couple of seconds to show one autumn-form Deerling in particular that is eating out of the palm of France's hand.]

[In the background, however, unnoticed for the moment by France, there is dust rising, and those watching the 'Gear might pick up the beginnings of static noise as a number of stampeding Blitzles careen towards France's back.]

[France grins at the 'Gear, voice cheerful and boastful although increasingly distorted by the static noise.]

This is Bénézet, the newest addition to my team! Isn't he a lovely and unique specimen among these cre...

[At this point, the feed's audio is far too distorted to be understandable. A moment passes where France continues speaking inaudibly before France finally notices something's up. He looks away from the 'Gear, which subsequently shifts the focus off-center to give a view of France's shoulder, the sky, and a rising cloud of dust before there's a blare of static and the feed abruptly cuts out.]

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Fine, it must have be worth it to get nearly run over by a bunch of zebras.

It's nice to know that you didn't get trampled to death.

[France grimaces.]

I try my hardest not to dream.

[Not that he's successful in the slightest. France dreams vividly and often of things he would rather forget, but being a Nation has never allowed France to forget anything before all of his citizens do, and sometimes not even then.]

[He blinks at Coopers answer, surprised, before his grimace turns into a small but sincere smile. He's honored to listen.]

Of course.

[France huffs but does lower his hackles somewhat at the last part, just pouting now.]

This place would do well to regulate its urban wildlife in some way. Maybe some sort of humane spading and neutering legislation.

You know the locals wouldn't go for that.

[Not to mention, do pokémon even have proper genital anyway? Wait, no. He's going to stop that train of thought right now. ]

You just need to pay attention to your surrounds.

Of course not. That would be the logical solution.

[That's a really good question. Despite being a breeder, France really has no idea how pokemon come to be. And he's France.]

I was paying attention! Just not in the direction of the city. The Deerling were much cuter.

[When Envy reaches France, he reaches to loosely link arms with him. He does look France up and down, and is glad to see that he doesn't look injured at all.]

Maybe we should get you some Repel.

[He gives France a (tired, he hasn't been sleeping well since the weekend) half-grin that doesn't show too much amusement even though yes that video was kind of funny.]

You're not hurt, right?

So don't get your hopes up unless they stop being Poképhiles.

Speaking of Deerling, how come he didn't notice?

[France returns the hold, tightening it and pulling Envy closer. He takes Envy's hand in his own.]

Repel always makes me smell like I'm wearing cheap perfume.

[France shakes his head.]

No. I'm just...

[He motions vaguely with his free hand.]

Frustrated.

[France shrugs.]

I suspect Bénézet was rather hungry. Grass isn't nearly as delicious as my food.

[Wow that took him, like five minutes to regain that ego. France you are a wonder.]

Lovely your cooking seems to have decreased one's natural sense.

[The smirk he had slowly becomes tiny grin. While he's still amused, it isn't doing much to keep his mind of certain things.]

[Envy leans his head lightly on France's shoulder, letting out a small huff of a laugh at the perfume comment. After France is done speaking, he looks up at him.]

About it getting broadcast?

You know, they still don't quite cut it in comparison. To bulls. In quantity.

_{[Similar thing going through Tuli's head all the time, France, you're not alone in this. But right now he's finding it hella entertaining to be frenemies.]}

_{[Cooper understands that face - his dreams have a tendency to be unpleasant as well. There are many nightmares there, many things he'd rather forget if he could. And it's one of those things he's now going to share.]

[There's some silence on his end as he makes the feed private and he stops to gather his thoughts on the matter, on what to say exactly. He's used to keeping things from people because it's easier that way. Because it's his thing to deal with. His fault.]

[Then he starts from where he usually tells this story. From where it matters. And he does so softly, but tries to remain detached.]}

Six years ago now my former partner and I were tasked with protecting a woman who had been a victim - and witness - to a federal crime of great severity. We were supposed to never leave her side.

I fell in love with her.

_{[And god, it hurts to think about still.]}

And for that reason I failed in my vigilance when the attempt on her life was made.

_{[A beat.]}

She died in my arms. I was badly injured.

My partner was responsible.

[France lets Cooper gather his thoughts, waiting with a level of attentiveness that's rare to see from France. He cares about Cooper in a way that only Envy precedes and in a way that's wholly different from his relationships with other Nations. Cooper is someone that he can sincerely call a friend, and that's true novelty for France.]

[He listens quietly while Cooper is speaking, up until Cooper comes to the phrase "I failed in my vigilance." At that, France breathes in sharply and doesn't let the breath out until after Cooper finishes. He remains quiet for a long moment, a muscle in his jaw working, and when he responds, France's voice is low and strained.]

Did you see justice served?

[France starts to look indignantly offended, but then he notices the change in the smirk. He huffs again instead.]

Now you're making a jest of me. I am not just for your entertainment.

_{[He doesn't answer the question immediately. He carries on after a moment - showing that he heard the question, despite the lack of answer. Eyes downcast.]}

My partner snapped. He was put into a mental ward. The woman we were supposed to protect was his wife.

_{[And that - is a bit of an admission. Because he'd gone behind his partner's back, falling for Caroline. He hadn't meant to, and neither had she, but he can't help but take the blame for ultimately allowing himself to act on it, even for that one blissful day.]

[Despite knowing now that it had all been Windom's doing. He takes a breath, steadies himself, and keeps talking.]}

I now believe he was responsible for the original crime she witnessed and the torture he put her through. He killed her and very nearly me. I didn't know why.

_{["Didn't", because Windom had given him an idea in the lost days. Practically told him.]}

He escaped the ward not long before my arrival here.

[France laughs lowly, somewhat self-derisively.]

Well, yes, that, too.

[He sighs through his nose, tilting his head to rest it against Envy's at his shoulder.]

I'm frustrated with everything about this place, except for you and few others and my pokemon.

The world is my entertainment, you just happen to be what's up for today.

[He loves you, France he just has a funny way of showing it.]

[France scowls as mightily as he has ever scowled.]

It might not be the running of the bulls, but they're still electrified !

And did they fry you?

_{[Cause you look pretty damn fine to him. Not even bothered, man.]}

[That is quite a bit of an admission, and France can tell. He doesn't know all the details, just what Cooper is telling him, but he can feel a lot of it from Cooper's demeanor, from what France can guess from the information given and what he knows of human nature.]

[Love can make people--even the most logical and moral people--crazy. It is a fact that France knows well. Too well, in a lot of ways, and much better than many others, human or Nation. Love is France's greatest asset and his most coveted poison. As much as he'd like to pretend he's always been in control of it, France has never been able to control his love, not entirely. To be controlled by one's emotions, to have them manipulated: it's the cruelest thing that France has experienced and is able to do.]

God...

[France passes a hand over his lower face, rubbing the palm of his hand over the stubble lining his jawline.]

Did he come to you somehow during the lost days?

Edited 2012-06-02 00:23 (UTC)

_{[Miguel is... not sure if he should respond to this. They have been travelling together and all, so... they're at least acquaintances?]}

Are you alright?

Yes.

_{[And he's still feeling the effects of that encounter all too clearly, like Windom's still there, breathing down his neck. There's fear and apprehension and a lot of grief.]

[Windom had been his partner, mentor and friend. He'd changed so suddenly. In many ways Cooper had hardly been able to recognise him.]}

He threatened people I care about. I ... can't be sure what is going on in his mind. But he's hurting me by hurting others.

If he can, by making me do it.

_{[And that's ... well. It's certainly not "it", because there's a lot more that weighs Coop down, even on the best of days - but that's what's on the forefront of his mind, the worry and fear, the very reminder of what he'd left in Twin Peaks, of his past altogether. And it's painful. So very.]}

[France has cleaned up and calmed down (mostly) by the time he responds to Miguel, so he's able to put on a smile, although it isn't as bright as the one he usually present.]

I am now! The wonders that a good long soak in the bath can do for a person!

[France goes very still at that last part. It's a strange kind of stillness, so absolute that Cooper might realize that France has stopped breathing altogether. He remains frozen like this for a long moment, his eyes still on Cooper but obviously no longer seeing just him. It's the kind of expression you see in paintings sometimes or particularly lifelike statues: something captured, chiseled in and then left behind.]

[For a moment, he looks inhuman.]

[But then France breathes in, and he blinks a couple of times like he's waking up, reigning his thoughts and himself back in. It's not a complete process: there's still an oddness about his eyes, and, while he's paying attention to Cooper, he still seems to be seeing something else at the same time.]

I understand.

[His voice is soft, thin, like it's coming from a long way off. He doesn't specify what exactly he understands or which side it accords understanding. It's a combination of both.]

[France swallows.]

Can you do anything to stop him?

Edited 2012-06-03 00:25 (UTC)

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[Post 039] Video/Action for Saffron City and Route 7 [Backdated to 30th of May]

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