foolishwren | 76. [Accidental Video/Text/Action for Olivine]

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76. [Accidental Video/Text/Action for Olivine]

_{[The feed opens in a decidedly innocent fashion. It's jauntily wobbling back and forth as its holder walks, and the screen is filled by a big blue :D face, backed by an even bluer sky. ... And the occasional waving green tips from the sand dunes he's passing. Yes, Butch the Quagsire is on the beach, waddling happily down to the shore with Heather's 'Gear-- perhaps stolen in hopes of being able to carry on a happy WOOOOO-filled long-distance conversation with Flapper.]

[But an angry-sounding gurgle rings out behind him-- and Butch turns to face his pursuer, who is equally blue, but a great deal smaller.]}

Ttt-t-toto!

QUAAAA--

_{[What follows is a very shaky view of the sky jittering around as the two Pokemon engage in a fierce tug-of-war over the gadget. Occasionally their faces pop into view, and while it's more or less impossible for a Quagsire to actually look angry, it's obvious that it's a heated debate. Finally, apparently deciding that it's too much trouble, Butch lets go of the 'Gear with a huffy 'QUA!' and waddles off.]

[Godzilla's concerned red eyes appear in front of the screen as he checks over the 'Gear delicately, as if checking to make sure it wasn't damaged. Anyone who's gotten used to the Totodile's presence in Heather's transmissions before may note that he seems a lot more... contrite than usual, maybe? Which has actually been the case ever since the OMNOM ELBOW incident a couple months before... strange.]

[In any case, once satisfied, he sets off waddling back across the sand, determinedly. If anyone's actually cared enough to keep watching that long (or is just tuning in now), his destination becomes apparent immediately.]

[In a shady spot juuuuust where the sand starts to shift over to grass and trees, Heather is sprawled on her back on an unused old picnic table, arms folded behind her head, along with her wadded-up vest for a pillow. There's a few old chip bags and soda bottles scattered around the little sun-dappled area, but it would seem that whoever left them had probably packed up and left much earlier, since Heather's the only one there.]

[... That's probably why she's there... judging from the dull, despondent quality of the way she's staring up at the foliage above.]

[And then she's lost from view briefly, as Godzilla struggles to clamber up to her, first onto the bench-seat, and then the tabletop itself. Then he's standing next to her and fumbling with the 'Gear, giving viewers a view first of her jeans pocket, then one hand, then the card-deck pattern on her shirt, then (inexplicably) a zoomed-in view of worn-out wooden table-top, before it finally settles on her face as he presents the 'Gear to her with a self-important gurgle that can only be an attempt to tattle on Butch.]

[At first, she doesn't even turn her head. It's pretty obvious her mind is elsewhere. But when he tries again, this time nudging her shoulder with the 'Gear, a flicker of irritability crosses her face and she looks over.]}

... Zilla, what--

_{[... Oh. It's the 'Gear. ... And the damn red light is blinking.]

[... Heather frowns with lidded eyes and shoves the 'Gear away.]}

Get that thing outta my face.

_{[The Totodile makes an apologetic (and slightly hurt) sound, but relinquishes the 'Gear when she takes it and ends the feed abruptly.]}

[Private text to Harry Mason and Henry Townshend]

Hey

I was thinking maybe we could try and head east to Ecruteak City in a few days??


We've been here awhile now

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...

[This was pretty strange, that fact definitely hadn't escaped him. Otacon adjusted his glasses again, a distinctly worried look on his face.]

...mind if I ask why not? I mean...is it something that awful?

_{[A long pause... and then she nods.]

[Yeah. It's really that awful.]

[An odd thing about Heather's feelings over Claudia's arrival is that she can't seem to settle on any one... there's just too much, and it's been cycling over and over and all around like some kind of emotional whirlpool in her head. Anger, sadness, pain, worry...]

[But right now, talking to Otacon, and thinking of what Claudia took from her ... the prevailing one that's coming out on her face is fear.]}

Heather-...

[His hands fidgeted nervously before settling on yet another compulsive adjustment of his glasses.]

...please. Talk to me. If there's anything we can do to help you know we're going to do it.

_{[Finally, Heather's shoulders rise and fall in a huge, deep sigh.]}

... The woman who killed my dad is in Johto.

...oh.

[Well that...complicated things.]

How dangerous is she?

... Probably not-- .... not too much. I ...

... I don't know.

I honestly, honestly don't know.

_{[There's moments where she feels sure that Claudia won't hurt anybody... knows Claudia won't hurt anybody.]

[But then there's others... like when she thinks about everything she has to lose here... and everything she's already lost...]

[That's when the paralyzing fear creeps in, creeping up through her chest like cold, tight tendrils, and she feels equally certain that somehow, some way, Claudia will find a way to take things from her again. ... Even though her head knows she won't.]}

... She...

Um.

She also killed Vincent... back home, I mean...

...we'll figure something out. I didn't expect you to have all the answers--it'd be unfair to think you knew everything about what she was planning.

But I won't let anything happen, Heather. neither will Liquid, you know you've got us on your side.

[A small, slightly nervous smile.] I'd better make sure she doesn't get us mixed up, then.

I don't think she has a plan.

_{[Her plan had been... fairly final.]}

... But... thanks.

I just... never thought this would happen.

...yeah, I can imagine.

[Every so often Otacon found himself wondering what would happen if Vamp showed himself in Johto somehow. None of the possible outcomes were exactly all that great.]

_{[She nods.]

[Then pauses... lapsing into silence for a moment or two.]

[... And when she speaks again, it's possibly with the oddest request she's ever given to Otacon. At least, considering what she'd just told him.]}

Hal, I...

... I want you to promise not... not to let Liquid hurt her.

... Even if she hurts me.

Can... can you do that?

_{[... Heather, what the hell?]}

...

[If it came to that, Otacon didn't know if even he could stop Liquid at that point.]

I don't know why you'd ask something like that, but...if that's what you want, then I'll try. You know Liquid's hard to stop from doing stupid things, even for me.

[But if anyone hurt Heather, Otacon could make no real promises about what he would do.]

I know, I know, I sound crazy, but just... trust me, okay?

Please.

_{[Heather has never seriously begged Otacon for anything in all the time she's known him. Jokingly? Yes. But this? This is new.]}

...alright. I'll do the best I can.

... Thanks, Hal...

... I love you, okay?

I love you a lot.

~~[heather be careful are you trying to get killed]~~

I...I know, Heather.

Don't worry, okay? Everything's going to be fine.

_{[COME AT HER BRO. Not even supersoldiers can stop her from loving her family.]}

Yeah. I know.

_{[... That doesn't stop her from feeling sick to her stomach, though.]}

...doesn't help, does it? I'm sorry. I wish there was more I could do from here.

... Yeah. I wish I could give you a hug. ... Even if that labcoat always smells like science. _{[OF COURSE SCIENCE HAS A SMELL.]}

... Are you guys still in Ecruteak?

You're just jealous that you don't have a coat that smells like science. [Smiiiile.]

Yeah, we are. I don't think either of us have even challenged the gym leader yet.

_{[Well, that gets a sort of weak giggle out of her. Much better than nothing, though.]}

Touche...

Well, if you guys are still there when we get there, I wanna take you both out to dinner. Like we did way back in Violent last summer.

... 'Cept I think I'll have to pass on the booze this time.

I think that'd be a really good idea.

...On both counts, really.

Yeah. Now I got someone here to glare at me if I do stuff like that.

... Not to mention, I might get an earful from YOUR dad, too.

He lectured me about cigarettes earlier.

Oh, geez. What'd he say?

[He had to get the lecture gene from somewhere, Heather.]

Well, at first he was like...

_{[Heather assumes the customary 'teenager mimicking parent' expression.]}

HOW OLD ARE YOU, HEATHER?

_{[DISAPPROVING FROWN, DISAPPROVING FROWN.]}

But it's okay. It's nothing I didn't already get from MY dad back when I was doing it for real.

He's really not one to talk, he's been smoking since I was a kid. And before that, from the look of it.

[Siiiiiiiiigh.]

Not that that makes it right, anyway. I've been trying to get Snake to quit for years.

[video]

foolishwren - 2011-08-28 02:43 (UTC) - Expand

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