126. [Video, action for anywhere in Goldenrod] (backdated to January 29th)

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She'd been lucky enough to be spared the effects of the past three weeks. BUT SHE'S NOT SO LUCKY THIS TIME.]

[The video opens on her already walking hurriedly down a surburban Goldenrod street towards the downtown area. IF SHE JUST KEEPS MOVING, MAYBE SHE WON'T HAVE TO TALK TO ANYBODY ELSE TODAY.]

[But just in case, she's hoping she can stave off karma catching up with her by making a quick confession to the network.]</sub>

HEY.

So anyone who was here like a year ago and wondered about the weird black eye I had that one time?

I lied.

I didn't get it in a fight with a dude 'the size of Kentucky' like I claimed.

Actually, I just walked into a glass door because I was thinking about how much I wanted a Pumpka-spice latte from Sawsbucks and I was too embarrassed to tell anybody.

_{[The camera then turns abruptly to the sky.]}

THERE! You happy, weird Pokemon gods? I said something embarrassing! Now leave me alone!

<sub>[The video ends.]

[Spoiler alert: she is not going to be left alone.]</sub>



[ooc: For action threads, feel free to tag in with your character ANYWHERE AROUND THE CITY.]

Comments

[action]

[armoredsoul]

[Al has woken up surprisingly groggy this morning, discombobulated from a night of bad dreams and uncomfortable memories. Not bothering yet with taming his hellish bedhead (he's still not sure if he wants to let it grow out again or not), he shuffles into the kitchen with Eddie just behind watching his trainer with a worried look. Pausing when he sees Heather in the kitchen already, he smiles and waves to her.]

Mornin', Heather.

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[From her spot at the table, munching distractedly on a bowl of cereal, she lifts a hand and waves.]}

Hey, 'sup.

<sub>[She's been awake for awhile-- and there had been no going back to sleep after her long talk with Henry. Not that it had been... bad, necessarily, but... well, any discussion of Silent Hill is pretty much the antithesis to 'restful'.]

[So she's up and eating breakfast.]

[Stifling a yawn, she shoves the box of cereal towards him in offering.]</sub>

Sleep well?

[action]

[armoredsoul]

Not really.

[Al takes the cereal with a nod of thanks and moves to grab a bowl and the milk out of the fridge.]

I was dreaming about Mom again.

[He winces as soon as that comes out of his mouth--shoot, he must be more tired than he thought.]

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[At that, she pauses with her spoon halfway to her mouth, eyes flicking up to him.]

[That's... hm.]</sub>

Envy told me about her.

<sub>[--wait wow that came right out, and it's weirdly insensitive. Normally she tries her best not to talk about Envy much around Al, unless it's in innocuous statements deliberately announced to highlight the fact that the Homunculus is largely harmless now.]

[But casually mentioning the fact that Al's old enemy had already told her about the one named Sloth isn't really what she'd intended to do when she opens her mouth, so she hastily adds, to soften the blow--]</sub>

--but not much.

I didn't wanna ask you about it 'cause... you know... it's not my business.

But, uh... if you wanna talk about it...

_{[She glances around the kitchen.]}

... nobody else's awake right now, 'cept Henry in the other room.

[action]

[armoredsoul]

[Al's mouth presses into a thin line, and he grumbles under his breath.]

Oh, of course he would...

[Blabbing on about something personal like that, when he has been doing his level best to keep his mouth shut about Envy's sins...it just fucking figures.]

[He doesn't really want to talk about it, but...it's already out there, and if Envy's said something he's definitely going to have to set the record straight. With a sigh he nods and puts the carton back away before going over to sit next to Heather.]

Yeah. Just...promise you won't tell anyone else, okay?

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[She lifts her hands.]}

Hey-- it was back when he was first telling me why he was so upset about you getting here, okay? That was back when I assumed I was going to have to deal with some like... adult monsterslayer or something.

<sub>[Because yes, that was what her mental image of Envy's brother had been before she'd put two and two together and realized it was the cute little blond kid-- although even then, she'd homed in on the fact that it was Envy's father who seemed to be the real problem.]

[But she nudges the chair out for him.]</sub>

But yeah. Cross my heart.

_{[She'd normally leave it there, but... today, her mouth keeps going.]}

I've known there had to be another side to that story for awhile, and I wanna hear it. Set things straight.

_{[She doubts Envy LIED, but well. After almost TWO YEARS of dealing with these dysfunctional brothers, she's learned damn well that they have very different interpretations of things.]}

[armoredsoul]

[He still irritated, but some of the foul mood slips away from Al's expression. Settling down, Al stirs the cereal for a few moments before he starts.]

Neither of us...we didn't really want to hurt her. We didn't even know she was alive for the longest time--homunculii are a mess when they're first made.

[He shudders for a moment, remembering what Sloth--what Trisha had looked like when he first came to.]

We didn't see her again until years later, and then she was acting as Bradley's aide. --um, he was the Fuhrer, if you didn't know.

Video

[a_sin_for_him]

Do you really think that's going to make a difference?

Video

[foolishwren]

_{[NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOT YOU!!! NOT TODAY!!]}

NO, but god dammit, I can try!!

<sub>[She breaks into a run.]

[YOU CAN'T CATCH ME, GAY THOUGHTS!]</sub>

Video

[a_sin_for_him]

I'd think the better course of action would be to lock yourself away from your 'gear and other people.

Not that I'm taking my own advice, but the point stands.

Video

[foolishwren]

_{[She keeps running.]}

I don't care what random people on the network think about me!

I care about what you guys think of me!!

<sub>[It jumps out of her mouth before she can even stop herself-- oh no it's already happening. But at least she hadn't said anything about Lust specifically-- over it or not, she still does not want her friend to find out about the big fat crush Heather had been hiding for the better part of a year.]

[But on the other hand, yeah, Lust is hardly the only person in the house about whom Heather has sensitive feelings that she doesn't want getting exposed.]

[A certain dysfunctional, green-haired fellow comes to mind.]</sub>

Video

[a_sin_for_him]

Oh for god's sake, do you really think there's anything you could say at this point that would make such a difference? It's hardly as though we have terribly high standards for behavior in the first place.

Video

[foolishwren]

_{[The run escalates to a sprint.]}

YES!

A LOT!

<sub>[And then-- oh no. Oh no. SHE CAN FEEL IT COMING.]

[The screen goes black briefly as she smothers it against her collar to somewhat spare Lust the sound of her abruptly screaming loudly into the cold January air.]

[Because it's the only thing she could think of to do to stop the traitorous words from coming out of her mouth.]</sub>

[action]

[rocketralph]

_{[Ralph hears a familiar voice (screaming at the gods no less) and looks up from the bench where he's been brooding over his own internet confessions. Whoof. Looks like she's having a bad day.]}

Hey, Birdo. Wanna take a load off?

_{[He pats the bench next to him sort of miserably.]}

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[AH. A person who she isn't hideously afraid of talking to.]

[Not that she particularly relishes the idea of unloading a bunch of sensitive issues on ANYBODY, but at least Ralph is just her sparring buddy.]

[She outright FLOPS down at his invitation, kicking her legs out and PUFFING.]</sub>

WELLP, I just babbled like a lunatic at my best friend's sister for like twenty minutes about how hot she is, so today's been going great.

How about you?!

[action]

[rocketralph]

_{[He cringes in sympathy.]}

That's rough, buddy...she's not sore at you, is she?

_{[And then OH GOD there's that gut-punching cringe now that she's gone and asked him something this was A MISTAKE.]}

I just spent...I don't know how dealing with people who saw something I posted on accident where I went on a long rant about whether or not any of this or us are even real. You know. The usual.

Now I have a headache.

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[Whups. SORRY RALPH.]}

--ugh, accidental posts are the pits.. I'm sorry.

We're totally real, though.

_{[Here we go again.]}

[action]

[rocketralph]

_{[Ralph slowly sags against the back of the bench and drapes his arms over it.]}

Real as in we're...things that can be seen, I guess. But. We're not players. We're video game characters. Somebody made us up and programmed us to entertain kids.

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[Okay, now she's... looking at him weirdly.]}

... Dude, if someone made my life up to entertain kids, they were a real sicko.

[action]

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Guess who is suddenly at your side.]

Everybody'd figured that out already.

[Blake keeps an easy pace.]

I can't even blame you. Pumpka-spice lattes are fuckin' good.

[action]

[foolishwren]

Are you fucking serious, the one time it's not actually from a fight...

_{[She shoves her hands into her pockets gruffly. TODAY IS AWFUL.]}

[action]

[lieutenantantichrist]

You should see how many times I've gone around saying I got hit by a giant sonuvabitch when it was really from trying to cuff a 90-pound drunk hooker.

[His brow knits.]

Is there something weird going on today?

[action]

[foolishwren]

There most certainly IS.

_{[A pause-- and then she laughs a little, under her breath.]}

You got beaten up by a 90-pound drunk hooker?

Good for her.

_{[SORRY BLAKE SHE LOVES YOU but she can appreciate anyone who's 90 pounds and still able to give a cop a righteous shiner.]}

[action]

[lieutenantantichrist]

Not beaten up. Just bruised and scratched the hell out of. She jumped on my back like a goddamn rabid raccoon.

[He hisses theatrically and claws the air in demonstration.]

Scary as shit.

[He's not even going to be ashamed of that.]

See, guys, they fight to show off or prove they're tough. Ladies? When they fight, they want somebody fuckin' dead.

[action]

[foolishwren]

... Well, I'd argue that I fight to prove I'm tough plenty of the time, but... well, you're not wrong.

_{[Groaning, she massages her temples.]}

I kind of just yelled at my friend-slash-housemate about how hot she was.

I need a drink and it's not even noon.