reveiller | video. | action for cherrygrove.

Five-hundred-and-one million, six-hundred-twenty-two thousand, seven-hundred-thirty-one...

[When the video feed flickers on, you get a nice view of the starry night sky stretching endlessly above. His voice filters through whimsically like something distant and far away.]

There's Andromeda to the north, Libra... Vulpecula, and maybe Orion's to the left, hidden away in the corner. [a chuckle, slightly regretful] Mm, I'm just kidding. I don't recognize any of the constellations here. And even if I did, I'll willing to bet that their names are probably somewhat different than the way I remember them.

Teddiursa Minor, maybe, or The Great Victreebel.

[He laughs, airy.] The stars here are still pretty, albeit nameless.

[The video screen dips downwards and inwards, illuminating a brown-haired boy, lightly smiling. There's an egg cradled in his lap. And wherever he's sitting, it's high above the ground, for the treeline is right there behind him, their tips caressing the sky.]

You know, it's a little strange that it takes a week-long coma and a very vivid dream to realize how nameless everything is here. [A pause, pensive. And almost to himself--] And it was a very, very vivid dream. I don't think I realized how vivid it was, until it came true.

[Breeze in the background, and he looks up, distracted. When he turns back, he's smiling again, wider than before, which probably means he's just that much more melancholy.]

Has anyone here had any happy dreams since coming here?

[action]

[For any late-night Cherrygrovers, he's sitting on a lamppost near the town square -- egg in his lap and Flygon sitting next to him -- murmuring to himself idyllically. His words, drifting along the wind-]

'...Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open and show riches
Ready to drop upon me that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.'

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[shrug. limited by what you know, huh.] Well, so are you, and the rest of humanity. Unless there's something you've been hiding from everyone, Niou?

[ahh, but that's impressive. he raises an eyebrow.] But you have to admit, he makes a handsome one, award-winning grin and all.

'Humanity' being the keyword, smartass. They don't know as much as we do. [ He keeps the camera on Nitto, but cranes his neck to see him, too, jarring the 'Gear slightly. ]

He is pretty hot, though. Even if he's purple.

But you don't get the idea that they're more humane than we are? [He's just fooling around now, since the point's already been ceded.]

Oh, I don't know. I think the purple hair is the charm point. [teasing--] Why can't your hair come in shades of violet?

More humane than Seigaku or Rikkai? There're different standards, you know. [ The focus comes back to him as he folds a stick of gum into his mouth and shrugs. ]

Actually, it takes dye real well. [ He fingers a lock of hair. ] All the damage from the bleach and toner. [ His thoughtful look dissolves into a grin. ] Purple streaks, maybe?

I was thinking Hyoutei, actually. [He shifts on his lamppost some, so that his back is resting against a hard surface.]

Go for it. [His own grin, in turn, morphs into a thoughtful pursing of his lips.] Why did you start bleaching your hair, anyway?

[ Another shrug. ] Same reason I started smoking. Same reason I'm thinkin' about tattoos.

[ Mind you, he's not exactly volunteering what that reason is. ]

[Smoking, huh. Can't say he hasn't been curious about that sort of thing, but it'd be a lie to say that he's considered it either.] Same reason why you pull that thing you do on-courts?

Nah, that's just for fun. [ The grin's back. ] For me, anyway.

Sounds like it could be. Liberating, if nothing else. [A pause.] For the other person, maybe.

You still didn't say what the reason was, by the way.

[ He shrugs again, much more dismissively this time, and continues toying with his hair as he glances offscreen. ] Keeps the riff-raff out. People don't fuck with you when you look like me.

[He blinks, slowly, just a touch surprised.] That so? Is that the truth, the whole truth, or nothing but the truth?

[ Just like that, the shark-grin returns, and he tilts his head precociously at the 'Gear. ] You tell me. Would you fuck with me?

[It almost feels like a challenge. Almost. He hums in mock consideration.] Depends. Would you give me a hard time if I did?

[ He chuckles. ] That's a stupid question. I'd give you a hard time if you didn't, too.

Oh dear, doesn't the future looks bleak. [He shifts his hand idly, to the side. His eyes flicker off-screen, and stays there.]

You know, I really wasn't expecting an answer. [Let alone an honest one. Or a possibly honest one. Or for that matter, one that sounds like it could be honest.]

Good to hear. I thrive on surprises. [ It's another dismissive response, as if to suggest that a straight answer isn't any more astonishing than a curveball. ]

[A flash of irritation, but it's gone before it fully surfaces. He's wrong, again. The petulance is still there, though, underneath a somewhat absent smile.] If it's easy, then it's not interesting.

[ Niou's smile takes on a mystified edge. He senses that thin undercurrent of aggravation and wonders at it. ]

Glad we agree on somethin'.

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