foolishwren | 64. [Voice/Action for Goldenrod] Backdated to Friday/Thursdayish.

Current Location: En route to Goldenrod City/actually IN Goldenrod City.

64. [Voice/Action for Goldenrod] Backdated to Friday/Thursdayish.

_{[It's probably been a week and a half or so since anybody's heard a whole lot from Heather's end of the line-- given the recent turn of events, coupled with catching up on things with her father, she just hasn't been talking much.]

[But if anyone missed the sound of yet another ranty teenager on the 'Gear network, well, today their wishes and hopes will be realized.]

[A crackle of interference precedes her voice, and in the background there's the steady rumble of a Steelix making headway on a dirt path.]}

Heeeey Johto, what's crackin'?

Totally fell off the face of the planet for a bit there.

Anyway, for those who care, Goldenrod just came into sight over the hill, so Dad and I'll be strolling into town within a couple hours, probably.

I'll be lookin' for a few of you as soon as we get checked in and stuff-- you guys know who you are. _{[She's lookin' at you, Kaito. Dinner plans aside, she still needs to give him that hug.]}

And uh-- Snake, you still in the hotel? I'll heal Solid up at the Center first if you want me to, but otherwise, I'm sure he'll be glad to see his Trainer. Sorry the trip wound up takin' so long.

Anyway, uh-- ... see you guys in a few hours.

... Feel free to call me up and chat, though, the road's dusty and it's a real bore to look at for hours on end.

_{[ooc: For Action, feel free to encounter Heather in the hotel lobby or Pokemon Center healin' up her monsters after arriving.]}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

-- Heather!

[ do you hear this squeal of joy? No?

Well, hopefully you see this pigtailed girl flying towards you in the lobby, or this might hurt a little. ]

_{[Yep, just... finishin' up the general paperwork for a hotel room, nothin' exciting, just-- HOLY SHIT KAMIKAZE RISE]

[Heather fortunately turns at the sound of her name JUST in time to catch sight of a red-haired girl FLYING at her.]}

--OOF!!

_{[It's okay, she didn't need those lungs.]}

Ooooh, I missed you! How was the trip? Did anything exciting happen? How's your dad??

[ she's just like a little kid, full of bright-eyed curiosity and the driving need to spout out as many questions within a single minute as possible. But really, she also wants to make sure her friend's okay, concern hidden under smiles. She remembers the last time they talked, after all. ]

H-hey to you too, Rise!

_{[But little sis will be getting a very heartfelt hug back, because Heather missed her a whole damn lot. And fortunately, the scruffy blond teen is looking and sounding a whole lot better than the last time they spoke.]}

It was looooong'n boring. But that was kinda nice, t'tell the truth. Dad's fine, he's upstairs in the room we got!

[ that's one less thing to worry about and, as Rise hates worrying, so much the better. ]

I'll have to meet him in person soon! But before that, I've got something for you!

_{[NO WORRIES, RISE. Heather's doin' pretty well, all things considered!]}

You SO do. Before ANYTHING else happ-- ... oh?

Wait right here. [ because obviously she couldn't lug anything with her when she had a friend to nearly knock over, so she's got to run back and nab it. ]

Well--... okay!

_{[... Because... well, come on, she can't really do much more than just watch Rise dash back off again! Perplexed, she leans against the counter to wait!]}

[ it won't be more than a few minutes before Rise returns, beaming and proudly offering Heather a purplish egg. ] Here you go-- one Tyrogue egg, courtesy of Risette!

_{[Heather just-- ... holds her hands out automatically, because... she is being handed something and that is what one does when being handed things. What is that. ... It's egg-shaped. And purple. And-- .... whaaa.]}

A-- ... a Tie-rogue?

Wait, for me?

What's the uh-- ... the occasion?

_{[You're supposed to say 'thank you' when people give you stuff, Heather. Jeez.]}

Future birthday? [ except she'd get Heather something anyway. ] Chie-senpai was looking for homes for these little guys, and they punch things about as much as you do, so I figured you'd be perfect!

_{[Now that the initial BZUH?! has worn off, a smile's started to stretch onto Heather's face.]}

It punches stuff, huh?

_{[She's picturing, like, a kangaroo or something.]}

Thanks, man! You-- ... really didn't have to, though.

I don't really do things because I have to, or I'd be a lot more bored.

Heh, fair 'nuff.

_{[She hefts the purple egg, taking a closer look at it as she rolls it over in her hands.]}

... Hey, since we were on the topic-- when's your birthday?

June 1st! After that, it'll be close to a year that I've been here. And you too, right?

... Yeah, now that I think about it.

_{[She laughs a little, almost incredulously.]}

It's tough to believe we've been here this long, huh?

It's... kinda weird.

... Yeah, it really is.

... Gotta say, though, the place kinda feels like home by this point.

_{[It... felt more like home than the Daisy Villa apartment, that's for sure...]}

Yeah... I mean, I miss Grandma, but it's like... I almost don't want to go back. Even more now than I did before.

Yeah, I...

_{[She laughs a little sheepishly, shifting the egg from hand to hand.]}

... There's... nothing back there for me.

_{[Only Douglas... poor ol' guy. He was legitimately the only thing that ever made her miss her world. ... But even he wasn't enough for her to want to go back. ... Especially not now that she had her father here.]}

-- Oh right, your dad...

[ Rise's not sure what it's like, having found someone you thought you'd lost, only to know you'll lose them again when you go home. It's... a little disheartening. ]

Yeah.

_{[She looks contemplative for a moment or so.]}

... We didn't have anybody else. No grandparents or aunts or uncles or family friends or anything. It was just me and him.

_{[She was lucky she'd even had Douglas there to be supportive during her last year of high school. If he'd died during the incident in Silent Hill, she really wouldn't have had anybody. Getting through school had been hard enough even while her father had been alive...]}

... I don't wanna go back to that.

I don't blame you... it sounds rough. [ Rise's voice is quiet with sympathy-- not pity, because there's a difference. ] Especially after being here.

... Yeah.

I'd live.

... But I'd like to do more than just live.

_{[It's hard to hide-- the thought of returning to that dingy old apartment... being all alone again... it's not a happy one. Even though she knows damn well that she'd find a way to claw her way into a happy life again, someday... why the hell would she want to go back when she had that HERE? ... When she had the thing that had mattered MOST to her here?]}

Doesn't everyone? I don't blame you, and even if this place can get on my last nerve sometimes... I really do love it here. With my friends, and the Pokémon, and just... being me here, with people liking me for that.

[ it's going to be a lot harder back home, where there were already preconceptions. ]

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