034. [Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It's a little before sun-up-- that weird hour of the morning where the sky is still dark but just starting to brighten in a thin, pale line at the horizon. Of course, where Heather was, that horizon was hidden by the trees, so it's... still mostly dark.]

[She's sitting up in her sleeping bag with a couple of blankets around her shoulders, next to the camp's fire, which had mostly burnt down to ash speckled with a few tiny, stubborn embers. They stood out against the general grayness of the clearing 'Camp Otacon' resided in. Said grayness was only emphasized by the layers of frost coating the earth and grass. It was well into October now, so... unsurprisingly, the weather had been getting colder.]

[Heather was not sure she liked this, though thankfully she's in possession of a living heater in the form of a now-distinctly-potbellied dog (Camp Otacon had been treating him well. Especially because though she'd never admit to being such a softie, she'd been giving him more treats than normal out of pure guilt over the whole 'I thought you were a double-head and also I was kind of a jerk to you in general anyway' thing), who was curled behind her and serving as a backrest.]</sub>

So hey, guys. I have a question.

_{[Her words were accompanied by puffs of steam from her breath. It's c-c-cold this morning without the sunlight.]}

What happens when our warrants expire?

_{[A couple of people had asked her this before, but she'd never had too specific an answer to give them.]}

I heard we're like... basically off with a smack on the wrist and not much else, but... _{[She pauses, sucking her lips inward a little and fiddling with that stubborn eye-bandage. She's gotta be able to get rid of that thing soon, right?]} ... That seems pretty lenient for a bunch of "dangerous fugitives". _{[She's quoting Officer Jenny directly from that announcement, and there's suspicion in her tone. SCREW THE COPS, THEY'RE NEVER HONEST, RIGHT? THIS HAS TO BE A TRICK.]}

Comments

[foolishwren]

_{[If he starts in on the 'you should turn yourself in' stuff again, there's a strong possibility she'll GET openly hostile.]}

Could've fooled me.

Anyway. Warrant's gone tomorrow.

So much for things getting 'worse' for me.

[justicereigns]

This place is ridiculous.

So the officers just give up? Are there that many other criminals walking around that they have no choice but to be so lazy about it?

[foolishwren]

Beats me.

_{[She wasn't complaining, though. She was sick of hiding out.]}

... So what are you going to do, then?

[justicereigns]

Regarding what, exactly?

[foolishwren]

Are you going to go along with the law here or do what you said you would? Drag me down to the police station if you ever saw me?

_{[He was just as skeptical of this weird lenience as she was, but he seemed so... adamant about it. She had to know if he was someone she was going to want to avoid running into in person.]}

[justicereigns]

[Snorts.]

I'd say the situation has changed. If they don't care, one can only hope someone talked sense into them and explained the situation, to which the injured parties care less. If they don't give enough of a damn, neither will I.

[He's not going to say he's relieved though, even if he is.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>['Talked some sense into'? .... So did that mean he agreed with Heather that going after people for the things they'd done while under the control of the ghosts' nightmare delusions was unfair or not?]

[Brows furrowing, she tipped her head just so, looking at him hard.]</sub>

... But you would have supported them if they'd decided to come after us harder.

[justicereigns]

[He does think it's a bit ludicrous since it's the ghosts who were causing mayhem, and he's not completely sure how rough her world was, but he's got a good suspicion.]

Yes.

Not because what you did was so horrible, but because you know you hurt someone under the influence and didn't try to make amends. Under the ghosts I might have been chasing all kinds of criminals from my past, so I'm glad I don't have my devil fruit. Nevertheless, whatever damages I caused, I'd have stayed behind and fixed. Even when the brats do something stupid and steal from one of the shops -- or when Kazooie did, I still stayed behind to pay for it.

It's called responsibility.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Her world wasn't so rough when it came to the law, but... Heather had been through things that would have destroyed most people-- utterly and irreparably. Under the surface, she was a lot less cheerful, a lot less cocky, and a lot less okay than she acted.]

[Her voice grows a colder than before, but surprisingly she's still not as angry as she was the first time around.]</sub>

I have tried to make amends. ... They're just not the kind you people would consider valid.

_{[Admittedly, they were only to one person... but it had been a punch in the gut when she'd found out who that person was. Poor Phoenix.]}

[justicereigns]

Us people? What, law enforcement? Tch.

Did you find who it is that was hurt and make it up to them? While I'll still say you should have turned yourself in, they don't seem to be particularly bright about it either.

[foolishwren]

Yes.

<sub>[Not EVERYBODY she'd hurt, but... come on, it was harder than it sounded... she couldn't exactly go back to Violet City and wander around asking random strangers "Hey, did I punch you in the face? No? Okay, never mind."]

[But Phoenix... she'd done her best there. Not that it was much... but if he himself hadn't talked her down from her OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE hysteria, she'd probably have done more.]</sub>

[justicereigns]

[Gives her a soft look.]

How many days you got left kiddo?

[foolishwren]

It expires tomorrow.

If they're being truthful, anyway.

[justicereigns]

Then consider it your one warning. I doubt they'll be so lenient should something like this happen again. Got any close friends you can trust for stupid this-world-shit that might come up again?

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She wasn't about to promise she'd stay inside the law. Even after she'd cleaned up her act, she'd always viewed it with scorn. Rules were meant to be bent. ... But like hell she'd say that to him.]

[At the very least, she can promise that she wouldn't let anything like ... that happen.]</sub>

Yeah.

They've got my back.

_{[Now she knew she wasn't alone. That made a world of difference. This WAS her second chance, in more ways than just the one Smoker was implying.]}

[justicereigns]

Don't waste that then.

[foolishwren]

_{[There's conviction in her voice when she replies.]}

I'm not going to.

Not anymore.

[justicereigns]

[Soft grin but tries to cover it up.]

Good.

[foolishwren]

_{[She kind of notices, and she's not sure how to feel about it-- defensive, sheepish, or a little grateful. Maybe all three?]}

Things are different here than back home.

I don't need to do things alone anymore.

_{[Her voice is steady when she says this, but her tone says plain and clear that this is something she feels... particularly strong about. Maybe even stronger than she felt about her own right to not turn herself in.]}

[justicereigns]

You had to do things alone in your world?

[foolishwren]

_{[She pauses for a long moment, trying to decide just what the most delicate way to put it is. ... Eventually she settles on:]}

Yes.

[justicereigns]

Hn.

Very different from my world. I could take care of myself, but you don't do it for long without a death wish. The Grand Line isn't a place that allows that kind of luxury.

[foolishwren]

I wouldn't call it a luxury.

_{[Most people in her world had others... and for a long time, she'd had her dad. ... But that had all changed.]}

If I'd waited for someone to come and help me, I'd be dead now.

[justicereigns]

Tch. Only weaklings wait around for people to save them. But the truly strong protect others and in return earn their loyalty right back.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Heather went silent.]

[It wasn't that she thought he'd called her a weakling-- she HADN'T waited around for anyone to save her. That hadn't been her style even before everything went to hell.]

[...But something about his little summary grated on her. She didn't know how to say it without mentioning things she'd rather not, though, so...]</sub>