foolishwren | 50. Accidental Video

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Current Location: Goldenrod City

50. Accidental Video

_{[When the feed flickers on, it's first displaying a somewhat unsteady view of Heather's back. Occasionally it swivels back and forth shakily-- showing a blurry view of what looked like a lot of cracked eggshells. There were a few towels lying crumpled on the floor, as well. Her voice, muffled and slightly blotted out by the constant clicking and rattling noises resulting from the Totodile claws that are grappling to keep hold on the camera.]}

--thought you weren't gonna make it before the first day've the New Year was over. Guess you like cuttin' it close to the wire, huh little guy?

_{[There's something small but fuzzy and ragged-looking draped over her shoulder, jostling slightly as she rubs it down with a towel.]

[It's white, mostly-- with spiky, damp hair and something indistinct sticking out of its head-- something black and sickle-like. A reaper-y blade.]}

Guess it's appropriate, though.

_{[She sits back and the camera's view scurries forward a little bit, swiveling upwards insistently. Catching sight of it (and its carrier-- guess who) out of the corner of her eye, Heather turns with a quirked brow.]}

Wh-- Zilla, put that thing down, you're gonna break it.

_{[She uses one hand to better support the fuzzy white thing cradled against her shoulder and makes a sort of halfhearted grab for Godzilla and the 'Gear with the other-- he dances out of reach, but she does hit a button and the Pokedex function comes online.]}

ABSOL, the DISASTER POKEMON. It has the ability to predict disasters and impending danger. Its tendency to only appear before humans prior to disasters has earned it a reputation as an evil omen and often caused it to become a target, leading to the species becoming even more shy and reclusive.

... Predicting disasters, huh.

Guess I'm safe, then. _{Mine's already happened.}

I know just what I'm gonna call you.

_{[Curious about the newest addition to their little motley crew, Godzilla inches forward with the camera once again, zooming in on the little creature's face. As the view gets clearer, a single red eye-- the one not obscured by a limp mop of white fur-- drifts open.]}

How do you feel about 'Alessa'?

[ooc: TAGS WILL COME TOMORROW-- I just realized I'm running a fever and shit's starting to move that really shouldn't. SORRY ILU GUYS. I'll-- .. um, I'll be back later. 8(;]

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_{[Likewise, Rise. Likewise.]}

You don't think so?

_{[Heather paused briefly to stroke her chin in a thoughtful manner and squint at Rise.]}

... Yeah, I think you're better off goin' natural, actually. Red's nice.

[ Natural auburn hair in Japan is a very, VERY odd thing. Rise's well aware of this, and offers Heather a bright grin as she tugs a pigtail. This tug lasts about as long as it takes to dig a plastic spoon into her ice cream, and INSTANT BLISS. ]

It's helped me stand out in a crowd, so it's kind of a blessing and a curse.

_{[Heather literally cannot remember the last time she did anything like this. Not since long before she'd gone back to Silent Hill, that was for sure. Maybe at age fourteen? Too long ago, either way.]}

Yeah?

Is that what made the agents and stuff spot you out to become an idol?

... Aside from the singing, I mean?

_{[Anyone with a dash of sense knew how shallow the media could be, and Heather was willing to bet that aspect wasn't much different in Japan than it was in America.]}

[ Rise doesn't quite snort, but it's implied she'd like to. ]

No, believe it or not, my relative sent in an application for this competition that was going on. "Be the next big idol!"... or something like that. I didn't even know I'd been entered until they called me in for the next round to see what I could do. If I had what it took. Who knows, though... maybe it was the hair that got their attention.

[ she sticks the spoon back in her mouth, mumbling around it. ] I didn't even want to do it at first.

Man, they didn't even tell you? Which relative was it?

_{[Harry would have blown a GASKET if anyone had done that with Heather... but then, he was super-dad]

[Heather smiles a little, sympathetically.]}

Must've been weird getting so much attention outta nowhere, huh.

My aunt. I don't even see my family that much, so it was this really big shock.

[ especially for this super-shy girl who still hadn't mastered looking up when she spoke to people. She returns Heather's smile with a rueful one of her own. ]

It was, a little. But I decided to go for it because I thought I'd finally be able to make friends that way, so I didn't want to just run screaming after the first day.

[ just don't ask her how that friends plan went, Heather. ]

Man...

_{[She won't ask, because she remembers Rise telling her before about how lonely she'd always been, before and during idol-hood.]}

Well, you got guts, that's for sure... Big crowds, crazy fans... the thought of that kind of attention's always kinda given me the wig.

It's not as tough as it looks. [ yes it is. Rise's just adaptable. ] I mean, sure, sometimes it can get to be too much, but I've got friends now. And I have people who depend on me. [ people who'd faithfully waited for her to come back, her fans who had written letters... ] I'm not going to run away again.

Friends usually help with that kind of thing, yeah.

And... yeah. There's only so much running away will do. Sometimes it's necessary, but... in the end, I've found it doesn't usually get you anywhere.

... Yeah. [ and she digs her spoon back in with a thoughtful hum. ] Even if you're afraid, at some point... you can't give in to that fear anymore, or you'll never be able to fix things.

Couldn't have put it better myself. _{[She peels the top off her own carton at last and goes fishing in the bag of silverware for a spoon.]}

So you must have like... a million fans, right? Got any, like, totally crazy ones?

Not that many, but yeah, every now and then, I'd get stalkers... the day I got kidnapped, actually, there was this one on the telephone pole outside of the shop trying to take pictures of my room.

[ Rise's got horror stories galore. ]

_{[THAT gets a huge wrinkled nose out of Heather and she pauses in the middle of digging her spoon into her ice cream just to make a face.]}

Eugh. I hate stalkers. I've had a few of those myself. _{[... Well... a whole hell of a lot more than a few, if you wanted to get technical.]}

Didn't you have bodyguards or something to get rid of them if they did shit like that?

[ don't make the ice cream suffer because of stalkers, Heather. Though Rise watches her sympathetically-- without the wrinkled nose. ]

Not fun, are they? And the bodyguards really only work if you're not trying to keep a low profile. I was on hiatus at the time, so...

_{[SHE IS GOING TO CHANNEL HER HATRED INTO THIS ICE CREAM.]}

Nnnnnuh-uh. Not fun at all.

And I guess that makes sense... still, though. _{[She looks sympathetic, now.]} That seriously sucks.

... If I was friends with you back where you came from, I'd go and beat 'em up for ya.

[ okay, that gets her to laugh. ]

You might make a pretty good bodyguard, Heather!

_{[The 'ew stalkers' face gives way to an enthusiastic grin.]} I would, wouldn't I?

_{[Putting the ice cream down, she takes a moment to flex one arm, as... though there's actually muscle there. (spoilers: there's nothing too impressive).]}

Those stalkers wouldn't even know what hit 'em!

... But I'd know.

_{[She lowers her voice conspiratorially and raises both her bandaged hands in a sparring fashion, mouthing "my fists".]}

[ that... is just making her laugh harder. Oh, Heather, your puny muscles are at least better than Rise's puny muscles. ]

M-my hero!

I know, I know, no need to thank me.

_{[She makes a bowing motion, then picks up the carton again and starts in on it once more.]}

Do you have any totally creepy ones? Or just lame and obsessed?

All of the above. [ Rise says this in a disgruntled tone. ] I mean, it's nice to know I've got fans, but there's a limit, you know?

_{[She wrinkles her nose again.]}

Man... people like that aren't fans, they're just... What's the word. _{[Shaking her head with a thoughtful frown, she sucks on her spoon while she thinks.]} Like... they don't see you. They just see some... thing that they're projecting all their fantasies on. Using you, basically.

_{[... Sounds like she's got personal experience with this.]}

It must be even worse if you're famous... the media practically GIVES people license to do that with celebs.

[ Rise's eyebrows lift,just a little surprised that Heather gets it. That's pretty much the basis of her Shadow, but she's never really come across someone else who's been able to vocalize it so succinctly without Rise having to explain it first.

... But maybe that's because she's been hanging out with half-Disney derps. ]

It kinda sounds like you've been there.

_{[Oh, Heather gets it, all right... It's not quite the same as being a pop star, but when you have a dedicated and fanatical cult whose children were raised believing you to be the key to their salvation... yeah. You get some crazy fans.]}

Uh... aheh. Yeeeeeaaah. Little bit.

... One of the things I shouldn't ask about?

Huh? Oh-- no! It's not like... too secret or anything, I guess. _{[Well, not anymore, really... The cult hadn't set foot in Johto, and Heather was trying to trust people more, after all.]} ... Unless you don't wanna hear creepy details or something.

_{[She's not sure if Rise has ever had creepers on a "Stanley" level-- though given that she was an idol, maybe she had.]}

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