oubliet | 01. Video | New Bark Town

[there's a face under the hat-produced shadow and long blond bangs on the screen. the face of a young man, to be precise--about 18 years old, malnourished-looking with eyes like he doesn't know what sleep is. he turns his head a couple of ways like he's trying to find the best angle to listen to the 'Gear from, concentrating.

finally, he shakes his head with a sadly disapproving look and talks to someone offscreen.]

No. I can't hear them the right way like this, either. The way that I think I hear you.

I hear them like people, but it's--like people talking. I see them, too. Does that mean it's working?

[his attention is still offscreen. beat. and then he smiles, a little.]

Thank you. I'm sorry. This is still interesting.

[now he looks at the 'Gear properly, expression cleared and voice somewhat louder and lighter.]

Er--my name is Cole. I don't know if I am supposed to say anything. [glances into a corner.] She--told me that if I used this, then I could hear more than I could without it.

How do you do?

[that's what you say when you're testing the waters, right? he doesn't have the means to do anything much more than that with whatever can hear him back.]

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[ Hi there, fellow blond. Naminé nods once from where she's sitting, hands folded comfortably in her lap. ]

You can talk to everyone this way. It's very convenient.

[the look on Cole's face says "hello, new person," and his tone isn't presuming anything, but he goes right with the flow asking this next question.]

Who is... "everyone"?

Everyone who was brought here. To Johto.

[ She's still fuzzy on the way things work and the finer details of this place, but she's getting there. ]

[that is convenient.]

Then you're from somewhere else, too. And so were the man, and the lady. Everyone "here" is.

[kind of sort of points to his 'Gear. gathering up the inferences here.

then he seems to relax a little. into talking to another nice person.]

This is new... But it does seem like it can be very helpful.

Yes... a place much different from this one.

[ She nods once, and there's gratitude in her expression. ]

Plenty of people helped me when I was new. I can do my best to help you. I'm Naminé.

[heh, he is the one here who could more obviously do with some help, isn't he? and it'd be bad of him to turn down the offer. she's paying help forward--he'll do that, too, when he can. and he does appreciate it. and sometimes letting people try to help, helps them...

rueful smile.]

Thank you.

I'm Cole... [he completely forgets that he said that to start with.] Are you human, Naminé?

[ Thanking her. It's still somewhat new to her--Sora thanked her, just a short while ago, and she's still replaying that moment in her head--so there's a little flush on her cheeks. ]

You're welcome. It's nice to meet you, Cole. [ It's an unconventional meeting, sure, one she'd never thought possible until this place. His question, though, makes her frown, ever so slightly. Human. Yes, she's human here, she knows it and she felt it the moment she came here. So she goes with the easiest answer, the one that would avoid the most questions. ] Well... yes.

[is the blush a good thing?

...oops, a frown. was that because of something he said?]

It's nice to meet you, too...

[he hurries to explain himself, in case there was something wrong with the question:] I-- I asked because a lady asked if I lost something. Something that should be part of me. I-- didn't know if it's normal, here, to be changed. I am sorry if it was bad to ask.

[come to think of it, it really might not have been the right question, anyway.]

But maybe the same thing happens to mages...

Oh-- no, it's okay. I'm sorry. It's just... [ Just what? She's not sure. Any words she tries to piece together sound awkward. Still, she shakes her head. ] It's just... trying to get used to, um... changes.

[ That seems safe to say. Naminé takes a deep breath. Let's try this small talk thing again. ]

You're a mage?

[first he's sorry for making her feel awkward, if he's done that, but freshly-perked curiosity wrt the question he just assumed was answered supersedes it.

at least the question he needs to answer first isn't a hard one!]

--No. ["he" was, but Cole catches himself before he says that.] ...I used to be a spirit, then my friends taught me how to change--but not all the way. I could feel what people felt, think their thoughts. But I can't now. Only with her. Ralts. And I thought that maybe it could be because I'm far from home.

Then... you have had changes?

[ It seems that it's not just her--or other Nobodies--who have found themselves changed. Having a heart... it's different. Not a bad type of different, but it's still strange to feel something in her once-empty chest. ]

It... it might be. Um.. though Ralts is a Psychic type-- [ She'd checked, shortly after she'd gotten her own. ] --so that might be why?

[ There's a pause, and she shifts slightly. As she settles down, there's a little Minccino making her way into Naminé's lap. ]

Changes? I... I have. Just one, really.

[he nods in concord.] One of the others said that, too. That that might be why.

[and his eyes fall to the tiny animal moving onto her lap. he is no less listening to Namine as she speaks, and he lifts them again when she finishes that statement.

the other lady knowing something about it, her, and him... even if it's not "normal", he can guess now that it isn't totally uncommon, and that chances to figure out why it's this way might be out there. meanwhile, she said she's trying to get used to it, whatever "it" is, for her.]

Does it bother you much?

[ It takes her a moment to reply, and she's glad she has something to do with her hands--petting Mini, she's found, is relaxing. ]

No... it doesn't. What about you?

01. Video | New Bark Town

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