IC Contact

[foolishwren]

ffzzbrrttzzckssshhhh

"Yo, it's Heather. I'm probably asleep or Godzilla ate my 'Gear or something so I can't answer you right now. But feel free to leave a message or something. I'll probably get back to you. ... Probably. Peace out."

BEEEEEEEEEEEEP.
[Need to send Heather a private message but don't particularly wanna spam up your friendslists? Feel free to leave it here! Please include the name of the game and IC date of the message in your comment to help avoid confusion. For OOC contact, feel free to send a PM or IM the mun at Phantastus! peace out yo]

Comments

March, evening

[no_ufo_ending]

<sub>[It's late, but the streetlights haven't come on outside yet. The TV is playing some infomercial about de-staticafying your electric types and Henry is...he's not skulking or slinking through the house exactly but he is moving with some hesitancy.]

[Once he spots Heather, he shuffles up to her, head down. It's easy to read on his face that he is here to share A THING but it is not with the same manic force as his cowboy wishes.]</sub>

Hey...Heather? I wanted to show you something.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Watching TV in a hotel room is never quite the same as watching TV in your own house.]

[Heather's been doing a lot of that in the evenings lately, because she REALLY MISSED IT.]

[She looks up when Henry comes in-- she'd been in the middle of brushing Cheryl's fluffy neck ruff.]</sub>

Yeah? What's up?

[no_ufo_ending]

<sub>[He worries that she's too busy but...well it's Cheryl and she's always so good about getting brushed. It's not An Event like it is with some of their other Pokemon.]

[He slowly sinks down onto the sofa beside her and passes over a Polaroid of a woman with a tired but infectious smile.]</sub>

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Brushing Cheryl is like a breath of fresh air after trying to tackle Cujo's disaster of a coat, for example. The Eevee merely chirrups when Heather sets the brush aside, taking it as leave to hop off her trainer's lap and curl up between Heather and the armrest.]

[Heather takes the photo curiously, looking briefly baffled.]</sub>

... Who is this?

[no_ufo_ending]

My neighbor. From the apartment.

_{[Henry folds his hands quietly in his lap and lets those words hang in the air for a little while.]}

She's the one who was pulled into all of that Otherworld business with me.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She'd first assumed it was some photo he'd taken himself-- it's not like he hasn't taken portraits of people here to rack up some spare cash before. But when he specifies, Heather's mouth forms a small 'o' and she straightens up without even realizing it.]

[Otherworld business.]

[That changes everything.]</sub>

Oh.

This... this's her?

_{[She hasn't heard Henry's full story-- only bits and pieces. But she knew other people were involved, at least.]}

Oh, wow.

[no_ufo_ending]

_{[He nods, slowly curling his hands into fists and resting them on his knees.]}

She and I were the only ones alive at the end...but we got separated. And I don't know where she is now.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She bites her lip.]

[Normally she'd say something like 'I'm sure she's fine', because that's really the only kind of response you can give in this place. It's pointless to wonder how people at home are doing.]

[But Henry is from the same place she is.]

[And they both know that Eileen is probably NOT fine.]</sub>

... I'm sorry.

[no_ufo_ending]

I just...I want to talk about her. Honor her somehow. But I hardly know her.

_{[He hangs his head and tries not to look miserable. His plan had been to show Heather his brave friend from another world but all he can do now is feel guilty.]}

[foolishwren]

_{[She pauses slightly, then reaches out to rest an arm around his shoulders.]}

You can tell me what you do know, if you want.

[no_ufo_ending]

Well she's...

_{[The corners of his mouth tug backward.]}

Kind. Even after all the horrible things that Walter did, I think she felt sorry for him. And she was brave.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[As they sit, Cheryl untucks herself from the armrest and crawls across Heather's lap to reach Henry's. Once there, she turns in a circle once and then curls up again, giving one of his hands a tiny nudge with her nose.]

[She knows when sad things are being discussed.]

[Heather, meanwhile, just keeps her arm around Henry's shoulder.]</sub>

She must've been, if she was able to make it that far through the Otherworld.

[no_ufo_ending]

When the dogs came--when the...god. The giant two-headed infants with man arms came. She didn't even scream. She stuck with me the whole time.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[While there's always been a sort of quiet, absolute understanding between them-- a different sort than Heather's ever had with anybody but other Otherworld survivors-- neither of them have ever gone into too many specifics with each other.]

[In some ways, they've just never needed to.]

[In others... it's good to be hearing some now. Even if they conjure awful images in her mind's eye.]

[She swallows, hard.]</sub>

... Maybe she'll come here, someday.

Almost everybody who was there in my Otherworld has, one way or another. _{[A slight, self-conscious chuckle. Henry undoubtedly remembers how she handled Claudia's appearance.]} Whether I wanted to see them or not...

[no_ufo_ending]

_{[With a sigh, Henry closes his eyes.]}

I hope so...I really really hope so. She didn't deserve any of what happened to us. I didn't know her very well, but I miss her, Heather. It feels...stupid almost.

[foolishwren]

Most people don't deserve what happens in Silent Hill.

<sub>[Can she think of a few who absolutely do? Sure. Definitely. But most... no.]

[She's already got her arm around his shoulder, so she rests her head against it, too.]</sub>

It's not stupid.

It just means you're a decent human being who didn't deserve it, either.

[no_ufo_ending]

_{[There's another gusty sigh before he leans into her half-hug. If Eileen did end up here, he hoped Heather was still around to meet her. Everyone needed a younger sister like her.]}

Thanks...thanks for listening to me.

[foolishwren]

Hey, any time.

You're the only person I got who understands... that stuff.

[no_ufo_ending]

_{[He gives a small sigh and a nod, leaning in to give her another grateful hug.]}