☆ first investigation | action/video

[leadingspirit]

[It's funny that it's early Spring and he's finding he wishes he had a jacket to shrug into, but he never did bother to ask anybody what the weather in Union was gonna be like. A new face wanders into town and, pushing his sunglasses up onto the crown of his head, sets his hands on his hips and surveys the area. Beside and behind him, a Rhyhorn and a Scyther settle close but not too-close, and he looks between them with a smile.]

Union, eh? Our first time here. [He tosses his head toward the Rhyhorn with that comment, looking at the Scyther. Aforementioned Bug Type seems uninterested and idly slides its bladed arms together, looking the other direction. Taki just laughs, and pulls up his Warp Band, switching what side of his mouth an unlit cigarette sits in.]

Helloooo Union! Tell me somethin', where's a guy gotta look for someplace to stay for a while?

Comments

[expertonshutters]

[Goddammit. He blinks for a second and looks down at them, shrugging and quirking a grin.]

Something like that. I've broken a few of his chopsticks here on accident.

[Fuji butts into the back of his chair at that moment and Hayato nearly falls off his chair.]

Fuji. Hold on, I'll feed you when I get home.

[leadingspirit]

[That's an odd reaction, and a... not-terribly-odd response, but a strange circumstance. He frowns, and then looks over their shoulders at Fuji, reaching out to set his hand against Hayato's shoulder to steady him.]

Fuji, is it? Like the camera. I've probably got something in my bag I can give him, if he's allowed.

[expertonshutters]

[He frowns, looking at Fuji.]

Don't tell Goro. You know he will break both my ankles if he finds out I didn't bring him back anything.

[!!!! Fuji butts into Taki's chair.]

[leadingspirit]

[Gahhh, Pokemon are cute. Cute cute cute. Taki laughs, bringing one finger to his lips in a shushing motion, and clicks his teeth to get Spike's attention. The Rhyhorn ambles over closer from where he was settled, probably napping, in the shade of a tree, and settles instead beside Taki's chair. Taki pats him approvingly and digs into his rucksack, pulling out a box of poffins. Spike gets one, naturally, and he swivels in his chair to hold one out for Fuji.]

He's gonna bite me if I leave this in my hand, isn't he.

[expertonshutters]

Yep.

[NOM. Fuji is a very happy treegoat thanks.]

Don't expect to get your way every time you ram someone's chair, you know.

[leadingspirit]

[He yelps, and recoils his hand, now with tree-goat bite marks, and gently pats Fuji on the head.]

Someone's chair, or someone's ass.

[He pats Spike, too, and then glances around for a moment. Nope, it appears that Hongo has fucked off somewhere again. He smiles and shakes his head, turning back toward his noodles.]

[expertonshutters]

[He's about half way through his bowl.]

[What should he even tell him? He guesses he deserves to know most of the story, but he wasn't sure about sharing the whole thing. He hadn't even told Kuvira everything.]

[He pauses, not quite looking at him.]

I've only been in Union for about a month- month and a half.

[Which is to say, no he wasn't just hanging out here the whole time he was missing and blowing off everyone back home.]

[leadingspirit]

[Mouth full of noodles, he thinks on that for a moment. Swallowing, he gesticulates with his chopsticks.]

Mmn, so not the whole of the time since you went missing. What happened?

[More noodles. He's being very amicable about the questions, at least, but Hayato probably also knows him well enough to know that he asks questions very carefully and gauges literally everything that goes into a response.]

[expertonshutters]

[He does. It helps that Hayato, being a photojournalist, is more than aware of these mannerisms as he observes them himself.]

There was a particular nasty battle out there. Gigan troops overwhelmed us. Everyone who didn't die got taken in and imprisoned in war camps. I escaped.

[leadingspirit]

[He chews thoughtfully on his noodles, nodding. A basic answer, and overall believable. There were obviously details left out, though. He licked his lips when he ran out of noodles to chew.]

And came to Union instead of going home?

[expertonshutters]

I wasn't ready to come home. I'm still not. Consider it a convalescent leave.

[And he's still going to be vague, but even without all the details hopefully Taki will leave it alone enough. He got out of a bad situation and he's trying to start over.]

[leadingspirit]

[The specific use of convalescent is honestly what spurs him to continue to think about it, even if he visually drops the subject. Hayato wasn't the type to need a vacation or leave from his home, not unless the circumstances of whatever had happened were really bad. To keep him away from Caldera for as long as it had... Especially given the gap between when he'd gone missing and how long he'd been in Union. The timing fit neatly within a scenario he didn't really want to think about, but it would be just his luck.]

[He slurped another mouthful of noodles, chewed through it, and clacked his chopsticks together at him.]

Hey, man, we all need some vacation every now and again. Seems like this is a pretty good spot for it, even if the food needs a little zest.

[expertonshutters]

[He takes another bite, himself, glancing sidelong at Taki. Apart of him feels like he accepted that almost too easy. Taki isn't entirely buying that story. He's not surprised really, just a little exasperated. He tries not to let it show.]

[He grins, looking nonchalant.]

Union is very friendly. Almost alarmingly so. It's been a nice change of pace. And like I said, business is good.

[leadingspirit]

[He scrunches his face up to use his tongue to dislodge a bit of noodle from one of his teeth, and then grins.]

Y'always have been the type to go where you want. And I guess photography is a trade best done in exciting environments. Can't figure there's much in Caldera you haven't taken a picture of.

[expertonshutters]

True that.

[Slurp.]

And it looks like if you want to see something interesting, this is the place to be.

[leadingspirit]

[He pops his lips.]

Ah, well. We'll see if "something interesting" winds up being in my forecast for this work dribble.

[expertonshutters]

Heh. You still didn't explain why you were here? Are you spying on Union?

[Raises an eyebrow.]

[leadingspirit]

[He gives him a sidelong glance, scrunching up his face and running his tongue along his teeth.]

I could tell you...

[He hails the shopkeeper over to pay for their noodles.]

But I'd probably have to kill you.

[He's completely joking, but he's also completely not telling you why he's here just yet.]

[expertonshutters]

[He gives him such an eyeroll for that.]

Boring Battalion stuff, then. Sure, whatever.

[Obviously it's pretty important if he won't tell him. He'll just wait and see or try to find out on his own.]

[leadingspirit]

Oh of course. It's certainly nothing you'd wanna make me kill you over. I mean, really.

[He pays for their noodles and leaves the shopkeeper a tip, and then slides backward off his stool.]

But enough about me, how have you been holding up on your-- let's just call it a vacation?

[expertonshutters]

[Is that so. He let's it go for now, then.]

I've been holding up fine. Like I said, there's plenty to do around here.

[leadingspirit]

So just photography? Taking it easy otherwise?

[His hands go in his pockets and he whistles at Spike, walking backward with a grin on his face.]

[expertonshutters]

Mostly. Things are quiet right now. Caldera's observing a cease fire with Gigas, right? Not much to be done there.

[He'd like to do more than just waiting around, honestly, but he's not about to break peace just because he has a bone to pick with Gigas.]

I'm training pokemon now, I guess. I'm still not sure how that happened.

[leadingspirit]

[He makes a face at that, briefly, and then pivots to walk normally.]

A part of me wishes we weren't, but it's for the best for the time being. Gigas is too unpredictable to approach without having a better understanding of them.

[He glances over his shoulder.]

Ah, like Fuji there?

[expertonshutters]

Mm. [And that's an agreement, as much as he hates it.]

It won't be long before they make the next move. We'll be ready.

[He pauses to look over his shoulder, too. He gives an exasperated but fond grin to the Skiddo that seems to have finally calmed down.]

Yep. I've got three more. I guess this city is kind of infectious. Pokemon are a pretty big deal.