111. Fourth Wall Post [VIDEO/ACTION FOR ANYWHERE]

[foolishwren]

_{[Static. Then, jumbled, chaotic video-- but through it all, there's the gruff, guttural voice of a Croconaw.]}

T-turn on the camera!

Hurry!!




How do I get her to let go?!

<sub>[Karma.]

[It takes awhile... but it eventually comes back around.]</sub>


[ooc: Heather has become Memory of Alessa for the duration of Fourth Wall! Feel free to tag if you want your character to interact with spooky semi-feral zombie-Heather, no matter where they are!]

Comments

[tapestodiane]

_{[It would be a chance encounter if anything was by chance. He's starting to believe it's not - he's had too many things lead up to his end in a way that disproves his previous belief in coincidence - but that doesn't matter right then.]}

Heather.

_{[He says it with some caution but no fear.]}

[foolishwren]

<sub>[The thing-- because while it IS Heather, it's something else, too-- twitches at the sound of his voice and whips its head around with a grotesque crackling sound.]

[Heather probably hadn't had oozing burns and weird, ember-like eyes the last time he'd seen her. But he HAD seen the Memory before once, so perhaps it wouldn't be quite as jarring a sight as it otherwise might have been.]

[She says nothing, but does regard him with a sort of dim curiosity.]</sub>

[tapestodiane]

<sub>[No, he recognises this one perfectly well. He remembered all her names, too - but Heather is what he'd always known her as and what she'd always be to him. Hell, what she'd preferred, ultimately. There's no reason to think of her any different.]

[He watches her calmly. Just watches her back for a moment.]</sub>

Do you recognise me, Heather?

[haveyouseenalittlegirl]

[Harry is walking into the room because his dad senses are tingling just because something seems wrong.]

Heather I-

[.........and yeah. Suddenly he's brought back to the times when Cheryl/Heather was a toddler and he found her eating something she shouldn't. Only now it's a pokemon and also she doesn't look alive. That last part is an important difference. Either way it probably explains his first reaction.]

Heather spit that out right now!

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She'd put a lot of weird things in her mouth when she was little.]

[But a large blue crocodile probably had the rest beat.]

[The emberlike eyes stir in their sockets, flicking up to Harry. She lets out a growl and clamps down harder.]

[Godzilla, meanwhile, is just whimpering and looking at Harry pleadingly. HELP. ;-;]</sub>

[haveyouseenalittlegirl]

[Okay first instinct not working. He'll walk slowly...very slowly forward. Hands facing up.

Heather. It's your father, I'm not going to hurt you. But you need to let go of him.

Can you let him go?

[exeggutorhead]

[Even as charred and zombified as she is right now, Envy recognizes Heather immediately when he sees her in the street. He approaches right away, more slowly as he gets closer. He's a little wary and very worried because his friend looks like she was just set on fire, but he doesn't show it. Instead, he puts on his best casual "nothing's wrong at all" expression.]

Heather? That you?

[He knows it's her. But he doesn't know if she knows that right now, or if she'll recognize him. She looks almost like a homunculus that's mostly put itself together, and he's approaching her as such.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She's moving down the road at a slow, shambling lope. Not quite an undead stagger... but still something that rings some inhuman bells.]

[As Envy approaches, she freezes. Her eyes are blood-orange pinpricks of light reflecting back at him as she looks his way.]

[She doesn't answer. But she does tilt her head silently.]</sub>

[exeggutorhead]

[He stops approaching when he's a good several feet away. He stands with a hand on one hip, looking right back at her. He's taking care not to look like any sort of threat, all casual and friendly. The silent head-tilt was a red flag--in addition to her entire physical appearance--that she's not really herself right now. And he's not going to find out what happened or if there's anything he can do if he scares her off. Or if she attacks him.]

Do you know me?

[show_my_cannons]

[Well, Ironhide was outside. Because thanks to shenanigans, there's no way he can fit back in the hotel room. He was minding his own business, throwing tiny sticks for Dog to gleefully chase.]

[But then Dog started barking at the hotel and getting all agitated. So he'd picked her up, put her on one big shoulder, and stomped over to peer into the window.]

...

Heather?

[As Dog tries her best to bark reassuringly to poor Zilla.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Poor Zilla. He's been doing his best to hold still-- because, y'know, as a bitey creature himself he KNOWS that struggling tends to result only in jaws clamping down HARDER.]

[... But of course... then a giant robot pops into view in the window.]

[This has the combined effect of Heather dropping off of the Croconaw in shock, as well as Zilla letting out an EXTREMELY ALARMED GRUNT. And turning tail and running.]</sub>

[show_my_cannons]

[Well, that wasn't what he meant to have happen at all.]

Oops.

[Dog keeps on barking though, either to encourage Zilla or get him back or something. He waves his hand, to try and shush her, to no effect.]

Kid, are you in there?

[imthe_shit]

[ What the... Snake's eyes widen, uncertain of what he's seeing here. Was that... Heather? Her hair was completely black, her skin... She was more like a zombie. And, well, she was biting that Pokemon...

Was this still the kid he was so familiar with? Snake squinted his eyes, trying to see the girl he'd practically adopted two and a half years ago, taking a few steps closer. ]

... Heather?

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yeah, it was safe to say that the last time he'd seen Heather, she hadn't looked like a corpse covered in oozing, pestilent burns. Or had eyes that looked like glowing coals.]

[The Croconaw turns at the sound of Snake's voice, and-- oh thank GOD. He remembers Snake. He'd been a bratty Totodile back then, but he still remembers. He waves his non-bitten arm frantically, letting out a series of alarmed rumbles that are the crocodile equivalent of whimpers.]

[HELP]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ ... Okay. Well, Snake turned his head a bit before moving closer to the flailing 'Zilla, mindful of the corpse-like version of Heather that was there as well. ]

Easy now...

[ He placed a hand on the Pokemon, staring at that horror-like vision. What the hell happened to her? ]

Heather... Let go. You have to let go. [ Did she still have her Pokemon? Maybe he could call to Sunny... ]

[smotherswithlove]

[ It's one thing coming back to a place he knew he'd only visited for a short time- like a dream. It's another seeing someone from that dream and knowing them, but not. She looked...different. Her name was on the tip of his tongue and James almost found it when what made her seem different clicked. James steps back and he stills. He sure wished he'd kept his plank right about now, but alas, all he has is an oversized wet and dripping fish tucked unceremoniously under his arm. ]

..........you're Heather, right?

[ Aha, he remembered~ :> ]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Well, a fish is better than nothing. If nothing else, he could always try feeding it to her. That's what you do to distract monsters, right? RIGHT?]

[The girl (or what only marginally looks like a girl) turns to him, head tipping to one side in what looks like curiosity, but it's honestly hard to tell. Facial expressions don't seem to be this thing's strong suite.]

[She blinks slowly, her eyes not quite moving at the same rate.]</sub>

[smotherswithlove]

Um.

[ James pulls the fish around to his front and clutches it against his chest, determined to swing the sad thing by its tail if Heather-but-not-quite-Heather decides it- she wants a literal piece of James. This defense, James decides, is the best defense because this squirmy fish probably hits harder than a wooden plank. ]

[ Then again, he doesn't really want to hit her at all, zombie or no zombie. So what's a James to do? He'll make friendly. That's what. ]

You've uh- got...something...

[ He motions to the corner of his mouth. You know what. Whatever. James fishes a pseudo-damp rag out of his inventory. Meanwhile the real fish meekly karps as it finds itself tucked, once again, under an arm. ]

[brokenmemories]

[Its been a while since she's seen the masculine manly handsome girl and quite honestly, she would've forgotten who she was by now. Luckily, Johto was generous enough to give her back her memories.

She remembered who Heather was and whatever she was seeing did not look like Heather at all. Such a sight should stun her from making a move but after seeing ghosts and basically dead people all your life, you grow used to it. But hey, this is Heather here. Of course she'll be slightly freaked out.]

Mason.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Poor Misaki. All dead people, all the time.]

[At least this one isn't technically dead. None of the monsters in Silent Hill are literal zombies. ... This one just LOOKS like one.]

[And it turns to Misaki to squint at her with emberlike eyes.]

[um excuse u do i know you]</sub>

/sliiiiding in here super late

[triptoprofiling]

[Out of all places to be...

No... It's not like Norman didn't want to go out of his way to visit others. They're interesting and all that it's just--

He shouldn't come from the goddamn bathroom to say 'Hey'. Maybe he should flush yeah... just in case.

...Maybe wash his hands too.]

Uhh, hey. Sorry I uhm... It's a long story.

[He looks at Heather.]

You alright? You don't...look so good.

HELLO DETECTIVE

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Congratulations, Norman.]

[The thing you are talking to is a glowing-eyed, charred-looking beast with matted, clumped black hair and a clawed-up nest of blankets around her.]

[There is also a Pidgey hanging out of her mouth.]



[You can practically see the exclamation point pop up over her head when he suddenly emerges from the bathroom.]

[YOU HAVE STARTLED THE WITCH.]</sub>

[triptoprofiling]

Shi--!

[Instead of locking himself back inside the bathroom, Norman steps back towards the wall behind him.]

Shit, don't do that Heather. You almost gave me a heart attack!

[He squints, getting a look at this get-up she's got going.]

This a costume or somethin'? What are you doing?

[buckyouup]

[Oh god Heather.

What happened to your face?]

...Heather! Y'all know we can't eat pokemon! That can't taste good!

[foolishwren]

<sub>[SILENT HILL HAPPENED TO HER FACE, APPLEJACK. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.]

[Godzilla is now whimpering on the floor with his bitten arm still extended into the air, and Heather's teeth still firmly clamped down on it.]

[She looks up dully at the voice hailing her... only for her weird, emberlike eyes to widen.]


[A... a horse?]</sub>