contempsi | 007 || {Video / Action} || BACKDATED to the 3rd, late morning.

007 || {Video / Action} || BACKDATED to the 3rd, late morning.

[It's not cold at all - even in spite of the rain - but after a bit of shivering, disoriented wandering Hope will find himself stranded on the path, and even more confused than when he initially came around after being the unfortunate victim of routine experimentation.

He plops to his knees in the dirt before slipping in the haze and landing squarely on his butt, not caring at all for the muck that would inevitably stain his shorts.]

Ugh...

[With a groan, he first lifts a hand to wipe away the silvery bangs dripping in his eyes, then wraps both arms around himself with a shiver. The camera's view might catch a flash of chalk-white on the back of a wrist, stark even against his fair skin, if one were looking hard enough.

The journal's been recording all of this, but the boy doesn't seem to notice, drawing his knees up and resting his forehead against them.]

(ooc: Lightning and I think Gem are going to go find him, but anyone else is welcome to poke him through the journal too. :D)

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Oh... I guess those are the people who took me away. [He frowns in confusion. Considering the fuss he kicked up before, he's almost too mellow about this.]

I think Light's coming here. Um... how are you doing? [No, he doesn't seem to care how out of place that question is.]

N-no... just cold. [He sneezes, as if this is to emphasize his point.] Maybe I should start walking, and we'll meet somewhere. [Pushing pale hands into the dirt around him, Hope manages to rise to his feet this time. He stoops to pick up the discarded journal.]

It's kind of like the first time.

I'm really glad to see you. [Hope buries his face into the chocobo's feathers, sighing contentedly.] It's funny, huh... now you're a lot bigger than me.

[And a lot more matronly, apparently? Maybe all grown-up chocobos have that motherly instinct, or something.]

I'm okay. I just... I thought I lost you all that time ago. Did you find someone else's hair to live in? [A soft, sleepy boyish giggle.]

Yeah. I think my friend's looking for me. Um... I don't think we've met before...?

[ Normally? Lightning would be the one to be suggesting meeting up somewhere in the middle first, but despite her intentions very often being aimed towards making sure Hope can fend for himself... he's still her ward for now and pretty much her little brother in everything but blood. Without competition, making sure he's okay first is her top priority. ]

Upstream should work, unless you start seeing mountains.

[ Just a... reminder. The second comment causes a pause- no reply for a few seconds save for the sound of rain from her end of the journal as well. Unusually thoughtful right now, isn't she? ]

Kind of. No snow this time, though.

[ A touch dry, and filled with double-meaning if he... cares to catch it. ]

I'm sorry, I'm Emil-- what's your name?

[PAUUUUSE. Lifting up her head and then tilting it to look at his face.]

Oh, Hoooope~? I'm Aerith.

[Sob she would have hoped he'd gotten that from her voice.]

You ... you guess? [ A pause. ] ... Hope, I'm really not the person we should be worrying about! I mean, I'm fine... [ Now she is really worried. WHOEVER YOU ARE, LIGHT, GET THERE SOON. ]

Y-yeah, I... don't really remember much. Just... painting. [Hope lifts a hand to rub at the top of his head, smiling a little awkwardly.]

I'm glad to hear you're doing better.

I guess not. [He'd catch the little jibe if he were in a better frame of mind, but Hope's expression doesn't change much. He's serene, at least, in spite of being completely disoriented. None of this scares him.]

Upstream... and watch out for the mountains. Got it, Light. [Another wobbling step on unsteady legs, and it's a success. He takes another.] If you get tired, don't... sleep out here. It's not very comfortable.

[He pauses to wipe a drop of rain from his cheek, and then moves toward the river.]

What...?! [His second shock upon awakening. Hope squints at the bird, as if trying to recognize her somehow through all those feathers.]

Aerith isn't a chocobo.

[Brilliant observation there.]

I'm Hope. [A sigh, staring down at his mussed clothing.]

...I'm not usually clumsy like this.

... painting? [ Somewhat curiously. But ... she gives, smiling a little at what he says. ] Yeah ... much better. I got to go home a while back and I've been doing pretty good! ... thanks, Hope.

... I don't plan on it.

[ Oh, Hope. The reply's a little dry as is pretty normal for her, but it's mostly out of habit- by now she's both dully furious and sharply nervous, which is only strengthened by his responses. And she may have managed to miss that brief glimpse of his Brand's new look, but it's certainly been on her mind this last little while since he was taken. Dwelling on could-bes rather than taking life as it comes isn't really her style, but those idiots actually doing something resembling 'right' and fixing that for them... it's pretty much the best case scenario.

She'll come to his rescue soon enough though, at a run and half-drenched due to... not using that umbrella for herself in the meantime. It would have just slowed her down. ]

A while back? When did you go home?

Lightning...!

[He's lucky enough that ambling in that direction led him toward her rather than pulling him off in some arbitrary direction. Hope stops in his tracks for a moment, lifting an arm in a loose sort of wave, and then he's jogging to meet her.

A clumsy foot slipping in the mud, and then he's on his chin.

Oops.]

Ah... [A sheepish laugh on her approach as he pulls himself up to a sitting position.]

-- Hope!

[ Ffgdusa, Lightning is moving to crouch by his side in a flash, somehow even getting the umbrella open and over him before she makes it all the way down. Considering her weapon is a gunblade, her skill with things that transform is probably not that surprising, though. ]

Here... [ She puts a hand on his shoulder, tilting her head to look into his face and eyes for signs of drugs and the like. ] Just slow down for a minute, okay?

Oh, the rain stopped...

[His voice is thick with fog again. And then he notices the umbrella, ducking his head sheepishly.]

...thanks. [He wrinkles his nose and averts his eyes, not particularly enjoying the scrutiny even in his disoriented state. A steadying hand reaches to settle on her arm; he's still oblivious to the state of his brand, white and burnt-out on that wrist.]

I-I'm okay. Really, I'm fine.

No you're not. You've been doped, Hope. [ Blunt as ever, of course, though her face is crossed with worry. ] Let's get you--

[ -- And then her breath catches as she moves to ready him into standing, staring wide-eyed at the exposed Brand. For a second she almost thinks she's mistaken - he's a lot like her, in that his skin is pale enough to make the whited-out version of their l'Cie Brands difficult to make out unless you're actually looking - but she's put in enough thought and such to know perfectly well which arm it goes on, and it's right there in front of her...! ]

Ah...

[S-snicker.] Poor guy... Hope, you really need to lie down, okay? We can keep talking but I want you resting first. And no, I'm not a chocobo. Someone needs to explain that to the Malnosso!

That's okay. I don't think anyone will blame you for being clumsy after you were just returned from a kidnapping. Actually, you're pretty lucky that they didn't hurt you too badly.

Um, they didn't hurt you, right?

Since when did you start rhyming things? [Hardy har har. Perhaps proving her point, Hope gives her a sleepy sort of smile that culminates in a yawn, and his eyelids flutter. He squeezes her arm a little, in an affectionate kid-like fashion.]

Um... what are you staring at?

But I already rested. [Even though he still feels heavy with sleepiness, Hope attempts to roll off the couch entirely now, aiming to land on his feet and stand up.

It doesn't quite work that way, though, stumbling over the floor in a pile of skinny boyish limbs.]

Um... I'm okay. I can do this.

[He reaches for the couch to try and hoist himself up.]

A... a kidnapping...?

[He frowns at that, reaching to first rub at his eyes, then at his forehead.]

I, ah... I'm not hurt. At least, I don't think so... [He looks down at himself, still in a bit of a daze.]

Um ... I think it was the 23rd. [ A beat. ] I was free to go home on the 20th, actually, but I wanted to get a few more days' rest someplace quiet. There's a lot of people in my house. [ Something about her smile is rueful. ]

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007 || {Video / Action} || BACKDATED to the 3rd, late morning.

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