foolishwren | 89. [Video/Action for travel group]

Current Location: Route 38

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89. [Video/Action for travel group]

_{[A short while after the singing wild Pokemon and egg presents had died down, a rather unfortunate discovery was made upon dialing a number she'd been meaning to dial ever since Claudia Wolf and Kaito Kuroba had disappeared from Johto.]

[Already on the road, the weather's mild enough (even with the wind picking up) that Heather decided that was pretty much a good time to pocket her Valentine's Day present and just head off for a walk. Because lord knows, she needs one.]

[It's not the first time Johto has given everyone the gift of a precious little egg, but it is the first time that Heather's found herself resenting it.]

[The video feed pops on, focused in on a tiny, pale yellow little egg hardly bigger than a chicken's, nestled in the palm of Heather's hand as dry grass goes past underfoot.]}

It would be so easy to just... crush it.

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[It takes a while for Lisa to respond to this. Even if it was posted for the whole network, it's clear that the poor girl's going through something personal. Still, it seemed...wrong to just stay quiet after seeing Heather smiling just days before, and after the other had helped her so much. Even so, she's pretty tentative, and her reply is simple.]

Alessa...

[Her voice is soft, and it goes unsaid that Heather doesn't have to explain if she doesn't want to. Lisa's just there, as she always had been.]

_{[It is... and normally Heather tries to keep personal things a little more to herself, but this time... it's a matter of being pushed ever closer to, and possibly finally over, the breaking point.]

[There's a pause before Heather replies, and the camera's directed out at the landscape rather than at her face, because... she just doesn't want to show her face right now. Not to Lisa. Not to someone who knew her as Alessa and hadn't even gotten a chance to know the new her yet.]}

.... I told you this place was good, and most of the time it is.

But then sometimes it just does whatever the hell it wants.

_{[Her voice is flat.]}

[In a way, Lisa's grateful for what Heather's doing--not allowing her to see her face. The nurse had spent far too much time trying to avoid looking at the girl--and who she thought the girl was--in the past. Even with her profession, she hadn't liked seeing the pain not only on her patient's face, but all through her entire being.]

...I wasn't expecting it to be perfect. No place is.

[It's said as a simple fact, but it's not dismissive. There's a slight pause before, even more nervously, she continues.]

I hope that...this time...your wounds will heal.

[She doesn't want to purposely bring back bad memories for the other blonde, but really, what else could she say? For Lisa, this was the most sincere way she could think to get her feelings across.]

_{[Even if she's doing it for slightly different reasons, that's the general idea... after all, she can't keep the pain out of her face right now. Even if it's for reasons far more trivial than the endless agony that she had suffered on the hospital bed all those years ago.]}

... Yeah, I hope so, to.

They usually do.

_{[It's probably the best way. Because even if it doesn't fix anything... the sincerity of it, coming from someone who'd seen her at her WORST... is touching.]}

... They always do in the end.

Mmn... Good.

[She falls quiet for a while, considering the option of leaving Heather alone with her thoughts. After a slow exhale, though, she decides to ask a question. It's not accusing in the least, merely...a little curious.]

Would you really do it? Crush the egg?

_{[There's a moment or so that Heather's breathing grows harsher-- a little quicker. And her fingers tighten on the egg, trembling. But they don't break it... at least not right now, anyway...]}

... I don't know.

I've done... worse.

_{[Hell, LISA knows that Heather's done worse. There's a pause.]}

... But I don't know.

Hmn.

[She almost takes another deep breath, but goes for clearing her throat instead. Her finger moves to rest on the button to close the feed, ready to let Heather without another person bugging her about her would-be threats to the innocent egg.]

Perhaps think on it a little more. Maybe when you're calmer, the choice will be easier.

... Mnm.

_{[There's a pause... and then, suddenly...]}

You wouldn't, would you? You wouldn't do it.

_{[There's an odd sort of desperation in Heather's voice. ;-; You're a good person, right Lisa? You wouldn't smash an innocent Pokemon egg.]}

[The question catches Lisa off guard, and she almost closes the feed in a weird trigger-finger effect. Instead, she moves her finger away from the controls, and offers the weakest of smiles.]

I would have no reason to. I couldn't really know. ...But probably not, no.

_{[THAT'S RIGHT, BECAUSE YOU'RE A GOOD PERSON. Not like Heather.]

[Right now? Heather's pretty sure she's some sort of monster.]}

... Yeah.

Yeah, you wouldn't.

_{[She pauses a little bit, then puffs out a sigh.]}

Sorry.

This isn't...

... Most of the time, it's not like this.

[Y-yeah, when you don't know all the bad stuff she's done...

Lisa offers the girl a soft, reassuring smile that she would have been able to pull off even if it hadn't been seasoned by her practice as a nurse and her dreams of being on stage or in the movies, because this time? She really means it.]

It's okay that sometimes things are bad, or that you're upset. It's not like you caused it, Alessa. You can't help it.

_{[Well... TO BE FAIR... she knows Lisa kept her a secret, like the cult wanted... but... but she was so nice.]

[She pauses to lift one hand to an eye, masking a sniff.]}

... I ... yeah. I know.

I just... wish I could.

... Thanks, Lisa.

[...Fake nice. ;~;]

...You're welcome.

[Lisa clears her throat softly, again mulling over the option of hanging up. Like before though, she's tugged to the side of staying by words that want to be said.]

You know, Alessa... Even if you can't help what's already happened, you can make a difference now.

[She sighs.]

Obviously I don't know what happened, but... I'm guessing that egg doesn't, either. And it's just like you now.

_{[shhhh Alessa doesn't know that.]}

... I'm not gonna smash it.

_{[Her voice sounds a little resigned.]}

I just wish there was.... something that I could...

_[Blame.]

[Lisa's exhale goes slowly, partly from a light sense of relief and partly because she's thinking.]

...I can understand that feeling. [As incomplete as it was, the basic sentiment got across to the nurse.] It sure would be nice, every once in a while.

It's just... easier when there's someone to blame.

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89. [Video/Action for travel group]

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