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

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It really isn't, Tobias. And it doesn't ever really get any easier.]

[After a couple of minutes, Heather comes back with two steaming mugs. Stepping carefully around Tobias's Bird Barrier (tm), she holds one out to him.]</sub>

Here. I put extra marshmallows in yours.

[wing_attack]

[Regal shifts to get out of her way, and he reaches up to take the mug.]

... Thanks.

[He blows on it a bit and then takes a sip, pulling his knees into his chest.]

... Losing people sucks. I don't... really... know what to do.

[foolishwren]

_{[Once he's got his hot chocolate, she sits down next to him, just warming her hands on her own mug for the moment.]}

You just keep going.

It's tough, and by all means, it's okay to grieve... but time'll pass, and you'll make more friends.

N'heck.

She might come back someday.

I've gotten people back here, before.

[wing_attack]

... Yeah. I just... I don't...

[He shakes his head a bit.]

I'm not good at... making friends, I guess. So for them... to leave... it's...

... People have left me all the time. Aside from the last two years...

[... He's never really let anyone get close.]

[foolishwren]

_{[She nods. There's nothing about his feelings that she can refute or explain away. They just are.]}

... I'll be straight with you, Tobias.

The longer you stay here... the more people you'll lose.

That's the worst thing about this place, and none of us have a damn idea why it happens.

All we can do is try to make sure we have as few regrets as possible.

I'm sorry Mimi's gone. I know you cared about her a lot.

[wing_attack]

[He opens his mouth to say something, but then just closes it again. Right. People leave all the time. Gamzee did. But he had more time to get to like Mimi.]

[... He tries to keep calm, but he just sets his mug down and wipes his face. It's not fair. It's not fair, and it's also not fair that human faces show emotion so well. He's forgotten how not to again, and it's that realization that bursts the fragile shield he'd built up and he starts to sob.]

[Regal immediately grabs the back of his shirt with his beak and pulls him onto his back. Tobias shifts and presses his face into the feathers. He can't help crying, but he doesn't like it that Heather's seeing him cry. It just feels weird to have someone see.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yeeeaah, Heather knows THAT feeling, too. She doesn't do much crying in front of other people. It's just... uncomfortable.]

[So she kind of looks away, taking a big long drink from her own mug to try and give the kid some... privacy's not exactly possible, but dignity? Maybe.]

[Of course, it's pretty much impossible for Sunny to ignore a CRYING CHILD so unlike Heather, she moves right on in to twitter low in her throat and gently groom his tousled blond hair. SHHHH CHILD DON'T CRY, OWL MOM IS HERE.]</sub>

[wing_attack]

[He shifts a little uncomfortably at the grooming but it's... nice. It feels familiar, and he sniffles a bit before looking up. His voice is hoarse when he speaks.]

... Sorry.

[He reaches up and gives Sunny a gentle pat. He's okay. He'll be fine.]

... I used to hug my cat Dude when I got upset, before... everything. He was kind of feral but he would let me hold him.

[foolishwren]

You have nothing to apologize for.

_{[She reaches out to give his shoulder a squeeze, now that the brief emotional outburst has ebbed.]}

And that's one thing about this place that DOESN'T change.

The Pokemon never go away.

[wing_attack]

[He leans into her touch, smiling a little bit.]

Yeah. It's... nice. I mean... we're not the same species, but we understand each other, and we need each other. It's nice that this i sa place where that's even more true than at home.

[foolishwren]

_{[It's true. This world is like a tree-hugger's DREAM.]}

Yeah.

If nothing else, no matter what people come in and out of your life, there's some friends who'll always be there.

_{[Did it make up for the way you could lose people you cared about at the drop of a hat? Well... probably not. But it's something.]}

[wing_attack]

Yeah. A little stability is kind of nice.

[He slides off of Regal's back and goes to sit down again with his mug. Regal plops his head in Tobias' lap again.]

... I swear he's more like a dog than a bird.

[foolishwren]

Just be glad he doesn't slobber.

<sub>[At least, she's assuming he doesn't. Most of her birds' tongues are pretty dry.]

[She leans back with her own mug, lungs swelling in a sigh as she lets her eyelids droop shut a little bit. It IS pretty late.]</sub>

Henry'n'I have an extra sleeping bag. I'll roll that out for you in a li'l bit.

[wing_attack]

There's that, at least.

[He reaches over and carefully puts a hand on Heather's shoulder.]

... Thanks. I... I really mean it. I mean... I know I said it... but it means a lot to me...

[foolishwren]

_{[She gives him a smile, and reaches up to pat the hand on her shoulder.]}

Don't mention it.

The first time I lost somebody important here... I went out and did somethin' stupid before it even occurred to me to find a friend.

I don't want anyone else going through that.

[wing_attack]

... You can always call me if you need it.

[Regal squawks an affirmation. Him, too! ... Even if he's way too big to work the Gear.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Aw, you kids.]

[Heather offers them both one of her characteristic crooked smiles, but there's a noticeable warmth to it.]</sub>

Heh.

Thanks.

I'm better at dealing with it than I used to be... but I'll keep that offer in mind, okay?

[wing_attack]

Yeah. I just want to be able to help you, too, if I can.

[Regal shifts a little so he can beakbump her leg gently. Friend!]

[foolishwren]

_{[She reaches out to scratch at the Braviary's head, smiling. He's a lot like Hurricane-- maybe the two bird Pokemon would get along. Not that Hurricane's been lonely since joining her team, but he could use some more feathered Pokemon to pal around with.]}

Thanks, kiddo.

That means a lot.

[wing_attack]

Good.

[He yawns a little, and Regal nudges him to lie down. ]

All right, all right... once I finish this...

[foolishwren]

_{[Yawning's a good sign. Sleeping's no cure-all, but everything seems worse in the middle of the night. She gives Tobias a firm pat on the shoulder and stands up.]}

I'll get the sleeping bag.

[wing_attack]

Thanks.

[He cradles his mug and sips at it a bit more, Regal making vague birdy noises of comfort while trying to be relatively quiet.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[The house is rarely completely silent, even in the dead of night. So the quiet twitters from Regal don't seem to be bothering anybody except perhaps for a few inquisitive Pokemon peeking into the room to see who the stranger is.]

[Heather returns from the study with a puffy sleeping bag and starts to undo the straps so that she can roll it out.]</sub>

Floor or couch?

[wing_attack]

Floor works.

[He can always just take one of the pillows from the couch, and it's probably better so that he doesn't roll off the bed.]

[foolishwren]

Gotcha.

_{[She rolls out the bag and gives it a couple of thumps to get the lumps out of it.]}

We can leave a lamp on so you can get to the bathroom or somethin' if you need it. Henry and I are in the other room, but I have a feeling Sunny'll be stayin' in here with you.

_{[The giant marshmallow owl lets out an affirmative twitter.]}