foolishwren | 72. [Video]

_{[The screen is slightly steamed up when it comes on, but it soon clears enough to give a shaky view of the ... bathroom floor, and part of a towel? It doesn't stay there, though. Instead, the focus seems to be (or is TRYING to be) on the football-sized black thing zipping across the floor and out of view.]

[Then the camera awkwardly turns to the face of its holder, who apparently just get out of the shower, judging by the way her hair is plastered down wetly around the sides of her face and the towel she's got wrapped around her shoulders like a cloak. Said shoulders are hunched. Apparently she's perched on the edge of the bathtub. No questionable steamy semi-nude shots from THIS girl, though-- this is SERIOUS BUSINESS, and Heather's voice is an odd mix between amused, proud, and exasperated.]}

This is a Public Services Announcement about why you shouldn't let your Pokemon into the bathroom when they're about to level up even if they do like playing in all the water leftover after a shower.

Watch and be enlightened.

_{[The camera turns to the floor again as Heather slowly and methodically sticks one foot out and sets it down on the tile.]

[INSTANTLY and without any warning, the black thing comes streaking back onto the camera with the intention of violently attacking its trainer's toes with a long yellow beak and a volley of chittering squawks.]

[Heather yanks her foot up again with a small shriek and the Murkrow goes scuttling off behind the sink.]}

See? SEE?

Here, I'll repeat the demonstration for anyone who may have missed that.

Everybody watching?

_{[She repeats the motion, this time putting both feet on the ground.]

[The attack-crow reappears, wings flared and beak wide-open. It squabbles and pecks around in circles around Heather's feet for a second or two before, once again, skittering off across the floor to hide in the bath curtains, tiny claws clicking on the tiles.]}

I can't make it more than a couple of steps without getting Murkrow'd. I used to be able to outrun her, but now she's like an unstoppable toe-eating machine.

And all because of this.

_{[She presses a button on the 'Gear to make it repeat its last automated message. Which it does, in a cheerful computerized voice.]}

WREN grew to LEVEL 5! WREN learned PURSUIT!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... You had to go at it on your own, didn't you? [ it's not accusatory, Rise's just pensive and holding back as much as she can, for Heather's sake. It's never easy remembering things you'd rather forget, and she's pretty sure this qualifies. ] That place, the carousel-- it had to have hurt much more.

_{[Heather is silent a moment or two.]}

... By the time I got to the carousel, I was... sort of numb.

_{[She doesn't look particularly proud of it, and she stares down at her hand, running her thumb over her knuckles.]}

I didn't... it hurt worse later than it did at the time.

_{[At the time, it had just been a matter of survival. She'd cut the horses down as quickly as possible, more out of desperation than mercy... After a certain number of turns of the ride, she'd be dead herself if she hadn't slaughtered them all. It hadn't been until later that the significance had hit her-- what the horses had meant.]}

... How long were you... I mean, that whole place...

[ she can't even imagine what it must have been like for Heather, when Rise had started to go numb after what felt like only an hour or so. ]

I'm not sure.

... I think it was just one night, at least on the outside. But time passes weird when you're in the Otherworld.

The TV world goes by the same time, but I know what you mean. It felt like time went faster in there.

... In the Otherworld, sometimes it felt like time went slower.

_{[By the time she'd left, it had felt like she'd been there for days... even though she'd entered it at sunset and left it before dawn.]}

I, uh... you didn't have to... nothing attacked you, did it?

_{[If Alessa had helped her out, that was good, but the horses were bad enough. Heather's just praying that Rise didn't run into any of the monsters.]}

No. [ she's quick to shake her head, settling back into support and reassurance. ] It was just those... creepy rabbit mascots lying all over the place, and... w-well, you know the rest.

_{[She nods, slowly.]}

... Rise, I... um... are we cool? ... After that?

I mean.

I'd totally understand if... if you were like, freaked out beyond repair after seeing...

... It's okay. Honestly... I had a harder time with my own Shadow than I had with this. Maybe it was a little different, but you're still...

You're still my best friend, okay?

_{[Cue a brief, stunned silence on Heather's part.]

[Then her mouth tugs upwards at the corners, even though her brows stay furrowed.]}

... I think I know why she helped you.

... Huh?

Alessa-- the Shadow.

I think she helped you because she knew how important you were.

_{[Alessa wasn't evil, or even particularly malevolent-- no, not at all. But Heather's not sure she'd have helped just anybody.]}

How important... huh. [ it's both surprising and immensely flattering, especially for someone who had originally started out being important to... hardly anyone. And coming from Heather, it makes her next smile a soft, shyer one. ]

Maybe I should've thanked her more.

[ Social Link UP. ]

_{[More important than you even know, Rise.]}

Don't worry... I think she knows that, too.

_{[She rubs her head slightly... still couldn't remember Rise's appearance in that horrible, rusty headspace-- not having consciously been there with her... but something told Heather that Rise had done good in there. Somehow.]}

Thanks. ... For everything.

[ she merely tilts her head with a small, inquisitive sound. Alessa had been the one to help her out of there, just as Heather had always, always been the one to help Rise. With hugs, distractions, physically hauling her out of wells, acceptance... when she thinks back to her experience now, she doesn't feel like she was able to do all that much. ]

I'm the thankful one, remember?

_{[Heather shakes her head in return.]}

Rise, I'd have to be an idiot not to be thankful for you.

You're like a-- ... sister.

_{[She halted herself just slightly before she could spit out the word-- it's the first time she's ever said it out loud, or seriously.]}

... A sister? [ and it's evident that Rise hadn't even considered that Heather would feel that way about her. Even though it is like having a sister who's close enough to be your friend. ]

_{[... AAAAAH SHE LOOKS WEIRDED-OUT, ABORT ABORT]}

... Well-- I mean-- ... you know. Not a sister sister, but--

_{[Heather very rarely gets flustered enough to verbally flail backwards over her own words, but to her, that had been a reasonably big confession.]}

W-wait, it's okay--!! I just didn't think--

_{[MUTUAL VERBAL FLAILING, COMMENCE.]

[All things considered, Heather pulls herself together somewhat quickly and tries to dispel some of the WHARRGARBL with a sheepish laugh.]}

No, it's all right! I just meant-- you're one of my best friends, of course I'm thankful for you! Who wouldn't be?

... Well, I wouldn't mind having you as a sister, either.

[ooc: I guess we can just post the AIM convo and then link it here for the rest? XD]

[ooc: works for me!]

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