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

[wing_attack]

Nah, burgers are fine. Steaks take too long. Burgers remind me of home more, too.

[Thank you, America, land of giant burgers. Tobias spots a booth near the back and heads that way.]

[foolishwren]

As you wish then, O Feathery One!

_{[Following him to the booth, she flops down on the opposite side and grabbing a menu from the little stand.]}

I recommend the Goldenrod Classic, if you don't mind a lotta mustard.

[wing_attack]

Sure. Sounds good to me.

[The nickname makes him grin a little bit more.]

Not the worst thing I've been called.

[foolishwren]

Yeah, I figure if you fight aliens, you have to've made at least a few foul-mouthed enemies.

_{[She folds her menu and kicks back, waiting for a waitress to be over.]}

I remember that spiky thing you turned into. That happened, right? It wasn't just weekend insanity?

[wing_attack]

Yeah, that happened. 'Andalite bandits' is what we usually get from the guy in charge of the invasion, since he doesn't know most of us are human.

[For varying degrees of human, at least.]

Hork-Bajir are used for heavy fighting. They're fast, strong, have natural weaponry, and can regenerate better than a lot of species. They're also a totally peaceful race normally, until they get infested by a Yeerk with other plans. There's a colony of free Hork-Bajir in the mountains that we helped rescue. The... they named the first Hork-Bajir born there after me. Toby.

[The memory actually makes him blush slightly. It's... kind of an honor, and not one he ever expected.]

[foolishwren]

_{[Heather listens with interest, folding her arms behind her head with a creak from the leather of her jacket. Tricia's already situated herself under the table where she knows scraps will fall once the food arrives.]}

And I thought my life was weird.

<sub>[... IT'S JUST AS WEIRD ACTUALLY. Just. A different kind of weird.]

[Around that point, the waitress shows up, cheerfully offering them drinks and asking if they're ready.]</sub>

Uh, yeah, two Goldenrod Classics, I think. Right?

And I'll take a chocolate shake.

[wing_attack]

Everyone's life is weird from their perspective.

[Tobias nods at the order.]

And a diet soda for me.

[Once the waitress heads off, Tobias just sighs.]

Seeing people that perky always makes me nervous. It reminds me of The Sharing, which is the cover organization the Yeerks were using. More Boy Scouty than the Boy Scouts and that kind of stuff.

[foolishwren]

Yeah? Sounds like a cult.

Now cults, I got a little more personal experience with.

[wing_attack]

It kind of is. They pull people in who like belonging, or who are kind of... I don't want to say 'weak-willed' but who just feel like there's something missing. They promise that they can help, and once you get more trusted they tell you about getting infested. They make it sound nice, but if you're not willing they just do it anyway.

[... Honestly he probably would have ended up joining them if things went differently. The idea makes him frown. He's glad he's on the other side.]

What happened with you? I'm guessing this is related to the monsters...

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She nods. Everything he's describing sounds familiar, even if it's in that old, fuzzy way that all her memories from Alessa's life have gotten.]

[Tobias is right, 'weak-willed' isn't necessarily the nicest way to describe the sorts of people who wind up targets of those sorts of groups. Heather prefers the word 'vulnerable'. Because that's what they look for.]</sub>

I was born into one.

My biological mother was one of the figureheads.

It was a long time ago, but I remember pretty well how they liked to corner potential converts.

_{[And keep their claws in the ones who'd already fallen into the trap.]}

[wing_attack]

... I'm sorry. But you're... I mean, aside from being here, you're not around them anymore, right?

[foolishwren]

... Yeah.

I was one of the lucky ones who got out.

[wing_attack]

... I'm sorry. I wish I could help.

[foolishwren]

Eh.

_{[She leans back, popping one leg up on the seat.]}

S'over and done with.

Anyway, this is my home now.

[wing_attack]

Yeah? I... still have stuff I have to do at home.

[foolishwren]

I don't.

I wrapped that all up, s'nothing for me back there. 'Cept for a friend or two.

_{[Actually, there's only one friend. But saying that just sounded sad. Anyway, he'd been to Johto once already. So she has the comfort of knowing that he's not just sitting back at home wondering where she went.]}

I feel for you, though.

Most people still have unfinished business wherever they came from.

[wing_attack]

Most people have unfinished business no matter what. But my situation's kind of weird, yeah.

[foolishwren]

I'll say.

_{[She grins broadly at him, propping her chin on a fist.]}

Your autobiography's gonna be one hell of a read, kiddo.

[wing_attack]

Yeah. I mean... hopefully I get to write it. If I don't, I hope someone does. If we get out of all of this, I bet it's Marco who writes a book or something. He'd love the attention.

[foolishwren]

Yeah?

Wanna tell me about your friends while we wait for the food?

[wing_attack]

Um... sure.

Jake tends to be the leader for most things. He's just got this... air around him that makes you want to listen. He's not serious all the time, but he tries to do the right thing. He saved me from some bullies who were giving me a swirly.

Marco is Jake's best friend. They have a lot in common, but Marco doesn't like to take most things seriously. He's usually the one who's joking around on a mission or talking about Baywatch or something.

Cassie is Rachel's best friend. Her family owns a wildlife clinic and a lot of land behind their house. Her dad works at The Gardens in the animal exhibits. We get a lot of morphs from their clinic. She's... really kind. She doesn't like fighting, but she knows she has to. She and Jake are... not exactly dating, but they have a thing.

Ax is... he's an Andalite, and the younger brother to the one who gave us the morphing technology. So he's technically my uncle. He's the only one of us with any actual military training, though he's basically the equivalent of a cadet. He's... he's nice, but he gets overexcited by some human things. Like TV - he thinks that commercials are really short shows. And Andalites don't have mouths, so when he morphs human he eats things like Cinnabon and cigarette butts and the candy on the floor of a movie theater and... yeah.

... And Rachel is... she's beautiful. There's really no other way to say it. She's a gymnast and fashion-conscious but... she's fierce. She's always the one who wants to dive in and cause as much damage as possible. She's terrifying, but she puts it to good use. She's also... it's hard to describe her. Beautiful and smart and deadly and still very, very human. She's got this amazingly sensitive side that she doesn't show most people and... she and I, we're... I mean, we can't really date, with me being a bird, but...

[He trails off, staring down at the table and blushing faintly.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[... Okay, no self-respecting highschool graduate can fail to recognize the telltale signs of a GIANT CRUSH.]

[Heather grins broadly. She won't comment on it... but IT'S REALLY OBVIOUS.]

[Though there's another thing about his descriptions that caught her attention.]</sub>

Hmm...

Rachel and Marco...

I feel like I've seen people with those names here before...

[wing_attack]

... Wait, really? I mean, I think I ran into Jake over the weekend, and Ax, but they're not here anymore...

[foolishwren]

It was a long time ago.

I didn't talk to them that much, but from what I remember, they match your descriptions.

_{[She spreads her arms slightly.]}

Means you're not the first person from your world to come here. It's not that uncommon...

Maybe they'll wind up coming back.

[wing_attack]

Hopefully. I mean... it's safer here. I'd rather we didn't have to fight. I miss flying... but thumbs are pretty cool.

[He wiggles his at her and grins.]