foolishwren | 47. Video/Action (backdated to earlyish Thursday)

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Current Location: Goldenrod City Pokemon Center

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47. Video/Action (backdated to earlyish Thursday)

_{[... What? Heather? In the Pokemon Center? Again? SURELY YOU JEST. She didn't get her ass kicked by a crazy robber again or anything, did she?]

[For anyone around the Goldenrod Pokemon Center, it looks like Heather's waiting around in the lobby, off in one of the pink, cushiony seats in the corner, trying to look as unobtrusive as possible. Her Totodile is wallowing around beside her on another seat, teething on one of those Pokemon fashion magazines they always seem to have in bulk. And by 'teething', I mostly just mean eating.]

[Heather doesn't look too interested in keeping him out of trouble, though.]

[This would probably have to do with the fact that both of her hands are heavily bandaged and laid in her lap with painstaking gingerness. She's had much worse, but... still hurt. And she was tired. And despite all outward appearances, the knowledge she'd gained on Sunday night wasn't hurting her any less.]

[But yes... ever the mother hen, Phoenix finally bullied her into going in to get those pulverized hands looked at. Not like she wasn't gonna anyway, but... well. She couldn't exactly go back to work without getting them checked out, could she? So she's waiting on an opening-- the Center's pretty busy what with the stocking of emergency snowstorm supplies and all-- not to mention countless natives rushing to get checkups for their Pokemon before the weather turned wicked.]}

[Video]

_{[What do you do when you've been sort of scarce for the past few days, and you're stuck with nothing to do? ... GO ON THE NETWORK, of course!]

[The feed fizzles on, showing off a tired, tiiiired Heather. Her eyes look even puffier than normal-- they're red-rimmed. Almost looks like she's been crying, but THAT'S JUST SILLY. She's obviously just really, really tired, am I right, folks?]

[Still, she offers her usual crooked grin to the camera, and it looks no less genuine than normal.]}

'Sup, Johto.

So uh... considering I work in the department store here, I've pretty much got access to all kinds of stuff that isn't sold much in other stores. So, in the spirit of the season... what do you guys want for Christmas? _{[She's addressing her friends, of course-- anyone else who tries to get anything out of her might well succeed... though it might not be what they want.]} No guarantees or anything, but I oughta get my shopping out of the way before the place fills up with crazy shoppers and blows sky-high.

Also, uh... weather's lookin' pretty bad, so... all you dudes who were planning on traveling, either hurry up or stay put.

I'm pretty sure none of us want this to wind up being Flood 2: The Freezing or some crap.

So none of you go and get dumb ideas about getting lost in the wilderness in this, okay? _{[SHE'S LOOKIN' AT YOU, TRAVELING PARTIES. Literally-- she lifts a bandaged hand and does that 'I see what you did there' motion, pointing to her eyes and then to the camera-- ... and then she remembers that whoops, her hands are bandaged like a wolverine attacked them and maybe it's not the best idea to flash them in front of the screen in front of a bunch of people who she just KNOWS will freak-- o-okay she'll just put it back down and carry on like there's nothing out of the ordinary. SO SHE DOES.]}

Also, anyone with Totodiles out there, I need tips.

'Zilla's started gnawing the bedstand in my room and I need him to stop-- but I don't think using a spraybottle on him is gonna work, 'cause... yeeeeaaah.

Advice?

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[Whatever confidence James had had to say what he did to Heather, to show his general concern was completely demolished the moment she said his name is such a low hiss.]

[He knew well enough that her anger wasn't at him, he could tell by the pain in her words. A pain that was all too horrifically familiar. For some reason though, hearing it in Heather's voice made him sad.]

[The way he felt, the way he feels was not something he really wanted to share with anyone. It wasn't something he would wish upon anyone ever, especially not Heather.]

[Though the cause of their pain was different in event, it was the same in nature.]

Heather... I'm sorry.

[He avoids looking at the camera. He has lost all that he had to say. She was right, she didn't approach him like she should have, but nothing was going to change that. beating herself up about it wasn't going to help anyone.]

Then start. Start working on that. Brooding won't help anything, it won't help you. Just learn from this then, Heather.

...Who knows. Maybe you'll get a chance again. This place has brought people back before. It might happen again. I'm not saying get your hopes up...

Just if he does show up again, don't make the same mistake.

_{[She's good at destroying peoples' confidence. THUMBS UP.]

[Needless to say, as he talks, Heather's anger sparks out and starts to fade a little. She turns to rest her back against the side of the Pokemon Center and sinks down it a little.]

[Her voice slowly starts to lose its growl, and the truth is that without the growl, it's pretty damn small. She hates how vulnerable it makes her sound-- shows she actually IS-- but she also knows that she can't help it. It's only human. It'd be stupid to expect anything else right now.]}

I know... I know, I'm trying... I'm gonna try. I'm just... I'm so used to being... _{[Alone? Was she ready to say that to James, out loud? She knew him, sure-- he was her buddy. They had something nobody else here had, and that was the knowledge that they had both survived the same hellish town. It was a connection that held more significance than either of them knew, but they probably both felt it. But apart from that, had she really shared much with him? At all? She's not sure she's ready, but... it kind of just happened. But unlike the time with Phoenix, she's not as apprehensive about it. James knew things, and... well. There was that connection.]}

I'm tryin' not to let it happen again, I'm lucky and I know it... I've got a lotta people here who I can-- who-- .... and that's more'n I've EVER had before. Even back home... before anything bad happened. I wanna be better. I wanna appreciate what I got...

_{[Her voice holds a slight croop to it and she lets out a shuddery breath (that explodes from her mouth in a burst of steam-- it's cold outside. But at least she's just outside the door and not wandering off), lifting a bandaged hand to wipe at her eyes.]}

[James really knows and understands where Heather is coming from. Probably better than she actually realizes. He is grateful though, that she calmed down a bit. As much as he wants to help, had she kept that tone he wasn't sure how much help he'd be.]

We both are very lucky to be honest. I actually have a lot more here than I ever did back home. I mean... I even have my wife back. [Though he still feels odd about that, something just isn't right, something he can't put his finger on.]

[Which is somewhat causing him to make the same mistake that Heather did with Harry. He isn't exactly appreciating this time with Mary. Well, he is, but he is also somewhat reluctant.]

...So I think we both just need to start appreciating what this weird place has given us.

_{[She nods, sniffing. She knows he's right. It's just hard.]

[She's quiet for a moment, watching the snow drift down from a darkening sky.]}

Y'know... I thought it'd be easier once I was grown up.

I thought I was supposed to hit a certain age and then everything would make sense and I'd know what to do automatically.

... Isn't that what's supposed to happen...?

_{[Ignoring the fact that she still basically WAS a kid... she had a point. And it was a hard lesson that she was still learning, even a whole year after Silent Hill.]}

[James' heart drops when he hears her question. It was just pitiful in a way, something he didn't really expect to hear from Heather, but it was most definitely a legitimate question. He too wished it was that simple.]

I-... Heather, I'm 29 years old and I have yet to reach that stage myself. If it exists. I really don't think life gets any easier when you get older--or it really hasn't happened for me anyways. I think you just learn how to handle it better is all.

[Which James isn't the best at either, nor will he probably ever be. James is a 29 year old manbaby after all.]

_{[Heather is an honest person at heart (despite her frequent deflections) and her weaknesses are not actually something she tries to hide. ... That said... it is a rare, rare occurrence for her to admit to something like what she just admitted. To admit that deep down, under all the experience and toughness and street smarts, there was still part of her that felt like a scared, confused little kid. She could say it, she could tell people stoically how it was only human to feel that way and that life was just LIKE that, and that feeling scared and not understanding things didn't make you weak ... but to really admit it? Like this? ... Yeah. Didn't happen often.]

[At James's reply, she just sniffs again.]}

... I guess so...

[James remains silent for a few moments. Presumably thinking over something before speaking.]

But, Heather you're a strong person. I don't doubt you'll eventually reach a stage where it gets easier for you, anyways.

[Heather seemed like a goddamn titan compared to James sometimes, with how she could handle situations. Sure she was down on herself about what happened with Harry, but she was probably handling this way better than James could.]

[He didn't doubt for a moment that maybe the reason why things were still so difficult for him wasn't necessarily because life just kept getting difficult, but maybe some inadequancy on his end. Who knew.]

_{[She ... kind of WAS a titan compared to James. Her own strength was one thing she never doubted-- no matter what happened, Heather knew she was strong.]

[To quote a completely-unrelated franchise, she had done the impossible, and that made her mighty.]

[She had led two (short, admittedly) lifetimes full of hardship and violence, pain and retribution, and she had survived things that most people twice her age couldn't begin to claim they had experienced.]

[But that was part of what made it so hard to admit that even after all that, she still didn't know what to do.]}

... I know... I know I will.

_{[A weak smile.]}

... S'just getting there that's the hard part.

[That was more than most anyone could say, not to mention her hard times most people wouldn't even believe. But James knew what horrors she went through, or at least something very similar. For someone her age dealing with something so terrible, well anyone for that matter, and coming out as seemingly optimistic as she... That said something.]

I may not be much help, but I'm here for you every step of the way. If you ever need me, don't ever hesitate to talk to me.

Like I said, I'm probably not the best person to go to, but we're friends Heather. If life gets too hard and you need to talk or something... I'll always be here.

[And he meant every word. He was just scared he'd be more useless than he's already predicting himself to be.]

_{[At long last, the smile widens into something a little more like what she would wear normally, and her voice is full of sincerity.]}

Thanks, James.

It... that really means a lot to me.

_{[You may be useless in a lot of ways, James, but you're still doing more for Heather than 98% of the other people she had in her life back in their world. Sure, she'd once had friends she could go to back there... but that was a long time ago. Douglas was the only one there, now.]}

... The same goes for you, okay?

[That's what James likes to see. Keep smiling Heather, it suits you way better.]

Of course Heather. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't here to help you when you need someone?

[Is it sad James wasn't expecting her to say the same? Not because it was out of character for Heather, but because he wasn't used to having friends, or at the very least, people there to take care of him?]

[Well people other than Mary.]

I--Alright I will.

You'd be like the friends I used to have, to be honest.

_{[She'd had friends like any other normal kid... but any lingering good ones had more or less drifted away (and rightfully so) when she'd started running around with the wrong crowd as a teen. Hindsight's 20/20, of course...]}

You'd better.

_{[A little of her joking tone is back for that one.]}

..Guessin' you didn't have the best of friends?

[Smiles lightly.]

I will, I will.

_{[She grins ruefully.]}

Heh heh, nnnoooope.

I was one of those kids you didn't wanna bump in the halls by accident and so were most of my friends.

_{[Bitchy AND disrespectful of the law, that'd been them. They hadn't been hardened criminals, no matter WHAT they had liked to think-- but stupid punks? Yep.]}

Ditched 'em eventually... sometimes wonder how they're doing, but... ehhh. Only sometimes.

_{[Wouldn't surprise her if a few of them were in jail for drunk driving or selling weed.]}

I see.

[When James was a kid he was nothing close to that. He was more of the loner quiet kid that no one ever paid any attention to. No friends, no real enemies, just most people probably forgot he even really existed. He was there, but he was nothing more than another face in the crowd. To everyone.]

[A kid who merely slipped through the cracks.]

Somehow that's pretty fitting for you. [An almost smug smile.]

_{[Poor James... as much as it would probably bother Heather to think if she mulled over it, she was probably one of the same kinds of people who'd have passed him over.]

[She'd never had a problem fitting in or finding company-- she'd just been... stupid. That was the best way she could describe it. Stupid kids who couldn't think of anything better to do than be punks and cause trouble.]}

And HAH, well... _{[She grins a little.]} To be totally honest, I haven't changed that much.

[Yeah this is probably true, Heather would have been one of those types of people he'd just like to avoid in school. One of those unpleasant kids who he never quite understood, since he wasn't a trouble maker and she was.]

Well then I guess you weren't that bad before. [He smiles.]

_{[That remark makes her smile.]}

Shut up.

_{[But her tone is light-- lighter than before-- and she lifts one of her hands to wipe whatever was left of the tears out of her eyes. She never cried for long.]}

So... how've you been?

Gonna be sticking around Azalea for Christmas?

[He just keeps smiling.]

I've been alright, been able to fend off these slowpokes.

Most likely. I'm still waiting for Mary... [His voice sounds dry as he says that. He's been waiting for a while now and not even so much as a call from her. It's obvious he's a tad worried.]

_{[Lololol James, how's it feel to be the one kept waiting for a change?]}

STILL waiting?

_{[She frowns a little.]}

Is she still in Violet?

[OLOLOLOL it feels bad man :|]

I'm not sure where she is. I'm... worried about her. It's so cold out and the snow...

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