003 || {Video or Action}

[contempsi]

[Hope's life has certainly been thrown into turmoil over the past few weeks, and there's certainly more to come. Now that Lightning's returned, and seems to have gathered her strength... he admittedly can't take his mind off his own problems at hand. He saw her brand—but what's to become of his?

His days, too, are numbered.

After a slumber fraught with nightmares, the boy awakens to find a more urgent, pressing problem at hand.]



[Somehow, by the grace of whatever deity is over this place, he finally manages to open the journal by his bed and paw his way into a video broadcast.

The screen is filled with a fluffy white puppy face.]

RUFF!

Um... w-what's going on!? Am I dreaming!?? Someone help! Lightning? Aerith?!

[Later on that day, he can be found sulking outdoors in the grass by the pathway that separates Community House #4 from the other residential homes, head on his curly fluffy paws.

He can, in fact, be understood if anyone attempts to converse with him. Translations are in italics.]

Comments

[lost-pig-boy.livejournal.com]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

[Did that thing just shake its head at him?

Hope normally wouldn't do so, but somehow, he can't resist lifting a paw and pushing it lightly against the little pig. As if he's batting at it.]

[lost-pig-boy.livejournal.com]

sorry this is so late! stupid DDoSes. :|

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

[Playing!? Maybe?!

His tail wags a little harder, and he leans in to bump his muzzle against the critter this time.]

What do you do, anyway?

Don't worry about it~!

[lost-pig-boy.livejournal.com]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

[... What was that supposed to be?

Hope's jaw stretches in the closest thing to a smile on a dog—which is to pant with a somewhat dopey expression on his face—and he nudges his nose against the little pig again.]

You're funny. It's weird that I can't understand you, though. Maybe if I get my body back, Light will let me keep you.

[lost-pig-boy.livejournal.com]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

[Hope usually isn't the type to get all squealy over cute things—it's just not his style, man—but this is the coolest little critter he's ever met. That tail's wagging a mile-a-minute now.]

I wonder what other tricks you can do! [Lightly prodding with a paw.] I bet Baldr would like you, too.

[lost-pig-boy.livejournal.com]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

[The puppy stares down at the word in the dirt, obviously trying to figure it out.]

What does that mean? So you speak another language or something? ...no, then you wouldn't be able to understand me...

[lost-pig-boy.livejournal.com]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's your name! [Brilliant deduction there, Hope.]

My name's Hope. So I guess that means you already have an owner, huh...

[A whine of disappointment. This kid needs to pay better attention to the journal network. He still just thinks "Ryoga" is the pig's name.]

[lost-pig-boy.livejournal.com]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

[Poor Ryoga, forever lost~.]

...oh! [So he's actually a person too... Hope feels pretty dumb now. Perhaps a bit of disappointment, too. The piggy would have made a great pet!]

Sorry, I didn't know you were like me. But I wonder why I can't understand you... [He leans in close, staring at the critter now with wide blue eyes.]

[lost-pig-boy.livejournal.com]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

Maybe when you're a person again, we can meet properly. [Hope idly scratches at the dirt. Gathering up a small clod, he attempts to toss it at the pig in a playful fashion... but puppy paws aren't very flexible, after all, and most of it just lands in front of him.]

[lost-pig-boy.livejournal.com]