77. [Video/Action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It always seems like autumn in the woodland town of Ecruteak. But when it's actually autumn, the colors are mind-blowing.]

[Heather might not be one of those 'let's walk quietly in nature and be alone with our thoughts' types, but she can appreciate the beauty of the world when she sees it! Which is why, accompanied by a small chorus of footsteps as she and the rest of the gang tromp into Ecruteak City, she's got the 'Gear out and is pointing it around at the explosion of color decorating the trees.]</sub>

Man, why did we skip this place again? It's friggin' gorgeous. Reminds me of home!

<sub>[New England autumns were one thing she had sort of missed since coming here. There weren't many of those]

[As the quaint buildings start coming into view, though, the 'Gear spins as she turns to the rest of the group-- her father, Henry, and the terrible trio of Kaito, Crow, and Aoko. ... Along with, of course, the Pokemon ambling alongside them all (or being carried).]</sub>

Hey, I dunno if you guys wanna go on to the inn or whatever, but I'm gonna make a quick stop at the Mart, okay? If you don't wanna come in with me, I can catch up with ya later. <sub>[Doop doop gotta restock on sun lotion. :I]

[She heads into the store, greeted by the swish of the doorway and a burst of air-conditioning-- summer's still clinging on enough to make the sunny day hot, even in September. A couple of minutes of browsing later (a nice shady inn room and a nap sound awesome right now, so she's not exactly into lingering), she approaches the counter with her purchase (and a little bottle of Aprijuice for Godzilla because he had tugged on her shirt and looked pitiful when they passed the display) and puts them down, digging in her bag and speaking to the cashier a little distractedly.]</sub>

Hey, could you feed the receipt into my 'Gear so I can keep track? Thanks.

_{[She sort of forgot the camera was on, apparently-- but the cashier takes the 'Gear and does so, before pausing and blinking down at the screen.]}

... Oh! Your name's Heather Mason?

_{[... Buh?]}

Uh... yeah. Why?

_{[Is it bad that her first thought is that this guy is like the Jennies from Violet and actually remembers that time a warrant for arrest went out with her name on it? But he doesn't seem accusatory-- instead, he's propping the 'Gear on the counter and bending down to get something from under the register.]}

We received a package with your name on it a little while ago and we've been holding onto it. Here.

_{[He passes over a slender box, with a few stickers and stamps on it-- looks like it's been sent around a few different places before it finally found her. Looking confused, Heather takes it, looking down at it with furrowed brows.]}

... There's no sender name on it?

<sub>[The cashier shrugs, making a baffled 'iunno' noise.]

[Heather glances downwards at the two Pokemon who had come with her into the shop, who look just as baffled as she does. ... Well, Arty kind of looks... angrily baffled, but there you go. Then, shrugging, she slips the top off the box and pulls out its contents.]



[Two Pokeballs ... and a worn-out old cloth green headband.]

[Heather's heart sinks immediately. She knows exactly who this package is from...]



[A few minutes later, she emerges from the shop, the bandanna carefully folded back into the box and put in her bag for safekeeping, but the Pokeballs are still in her hand. Stopping once she's out in the sunlight, she puts her bag down and looks at the balls contemplatively for a moment or so, before turning her head to look at the autumn foliage again.]</sub>

... I'll take care of 'em, Dave.

<sub>[... Wow okay, mumbling to thin air like he could hear her. That was dumb. ... But it made her feel a little better, anyway.]

[Rolling her shoulders, she puts a grin on her face and tosses the Pokeballs into the air, releasing their residents in the usual bright flash of light. Even if Snake was gone... it's good to see them again.]

[She raises her arms to meet the joyful trills of the larger of the two, and as she does so, looks over her shoulder and hollers--]</sub>



HEY, DAD! Wanna see what Lisa's gonna look like when she's all grown up?





_{[ooc: Responses will come shortly, gonna go get somethin to eat B). Action for anyone in Ecruteak!]}

Comments

[voice]

[shellderkillder.livejournal.com]

A... headband?

[voice]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[B( OH IT'S YOU.]

[But considering her somber mood, Heather's willing to put aside her snippiness for the moment.]</sub>

Yeah.

It belonged to a friend.

[video]

[usedfeint.livejournal.com]

[Ritz looks more than a little sad- she and her best bro just lost a friend too.] One of your friends left, didn't they.

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yeah... just when you think everything's steady and secure, Johto makes someone you care about disappear. That's how it works here, Heather's noticed.]

[She doesn't look like she's falling apart or anything, but there is a sober note in her voice.]</sub>

Yeah.

A good friend.

'Least he left some stuff for me to remember him by.

[VIdeo]

[shiromadoushi]

You okay?

[VIdeo]

[foolishwren]

Yeah.

_{[She always is, in the end... but she'd be lying if she said this hadn't cast a bit of a dark cloud over the otherwise-glorious day.]}

That was just kinda... sudden.

_{[She hadn't even known he'd disappeared...]}

[Video]

[hallowbethylies.livejournal.com]

Important?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Ring ring, who's that? ... Oh. Ew.]

[Heather frowns at the screen... but the fact that she cares about someone isn't anything worth hiding from Vincent. She's not going to pretend to be apathetic just to avoid getting teased.]</sub>

Yeah. Why?

[action]

[vulpesvivus]

[...Typical, Otacon thought with a quiet sigh, watching Heather with Snake's Pokemon. You're still keeping me waiting, even here? Geez...I don't know how I put up with you.]

[Seeing what amounted to the future had frightened him a little, back then. Otacon hadn't wanted to know what was coming in the next five years, and yet he'd known all along that sometime he would have to go back and live through it. Which was exactly what he'd done. Now it was Snake's turn to go back and see how it was all going to end.]

...it's been a long time since I saw those two.

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Heather hadn't known Snake as well as she did Otacon and Liquid... but he'd still been a part of her ragtag little family. Or at least, she'd considered him a part of it. He'd looked out for her, taught her things, made sure to ask after her... all in his own gruff, grumbly old man way, of course, but still.]

[She's sad. Nothing can really change that. ... But she has to admit, having her face buried in downy white fluff is a bit of a mood-lifter.]</sub>

S'good t'see you too, Sunny-- ... huh?

<sub>[That voice! She knows that voice! A HAL HAS BEEN DETECTED.]

[Pulling her face out of the Giant Owl Snuggle, she twists around to look over her shoulder... and breaks into a grin.]</sub>

Hal!

_{[Are you ready for a great big Heather hug, Otacon? BECAUSE SHE IS PUTTING SUNNY DOWN AND YOU'RE NEXT.]}

1/2

[harryusedworry.livejournal.com]

Do I want to what?

[Walking to wherever-]

2/2

[harryusedworry.livejournal.com]

[...Found you.]

........




Cheryl....

[action]

[exeggutorhead]

[Yesterday had actually been Envy's last day working at the Pokemart, so if they'd gotten there a day or two earlier it might well have been him handing her package over. But right now he's just out to pick up some supplies for his upcoming trip to Olivine.]

[At least, he was until he sees Heather, and then as he walks over the what the hell that thing is huge white owl.]

...that one's new.

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[Heather looks up distractedly at the sound of Envy's voice. OH! OH HEY. She hasn't seen you in person in awhile!]}

Sup, tree-head!

_{[Melancholy over losing Snake aside, reunions are happy occasions-- whether they're with old friends' Pokemon, or old friends themselves.]}

[Video]

[usedwaterpulse]

[She can guess what all this means, she's concerned, but remembering that things like this are frequent occurance in this place she tries to keep a positive face instead when she greets Heather.]

I'm sure they'll be in good hands, Heather. Are you alright?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

_{[Yeah... It's not that Heather's not feeling the ache of loss right now. She most certainly is, and no amount of disappearances will ever change that. But... it is normal around here. And... she's just glad that she has a bit of him to remember him by. Like Pinky the Slowbro for James, and Butch the Quagsire for Phoenix...]}

Yeah. I'll take good care of 'em.

I'll be fine.

It happens, y'know?

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

[hasn't seen the video post yet! but he is walking by juuust in time to see that GIANT TOGEKISS, and he does a quick double-take]

-- oi! When'd you get a Togekiss?

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[She looks over at Kaito, angling her head away from the FLUFFY GIANT OWL CUDDLES and grinning.]}

Just now.

[video]

[combat_butler]

--ah... You must have known Snake-san really well for him to leave that with you...

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[She looks up from the headband in her hand.]}

... Yeah, I did.

You knew Snake?

_{[Her tone is curious-- of all the people she'd have expected to know Snake, Hayate wasn't one of them.]}

[voice]

[show_my_cannons]

Bad present?

[voice]

[foolishwren]

Heh... not a bad present so much as just bad news...

_{[The PRESENT was fine... in fact, this whole thing is bittersweet, because she's happy to see the Pokemon even if Snake is gone...]}

Friend of mine went home.

... You'd have liked him, I think.

[action]

[no-ufo-ending.livejournal.com]

_{[Henry, who decided to wait outside the mart for whatever reason leans away from the wall when Heather comes out.]}

Do you think this town will have--

<sub>[BIG. ASS. PUFFY.....THING. The photographer's mouth opens and the half-spent smoke he'd been sucking on topples out.]

Ah!</sub>

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[HELLO HENRY. THIS IS TOTORO-OWL AND SHE LOVES YOU.]

[Heather turns to Henry, grinning like a cat that just discovered cream.]</sub>

Do you think this town will have what?

[action]

[tapestodiane]

<sub>[Walking walking walking ENORMOUS BIRD double take holy crap, and stopping short.]

[... few things actually startle Cooper like that, but ... yeah, it's a bird that's bigger than what he's been slowly getting used to over these past many months. So he keeps an eye on it, wary, but does approach somewhat, just ... looking a little like a man walking the plank.]</sub>

What is that?

_{[GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, HEATHER. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?]}

[action] NOW THAT HEATHER IS IN ECRUTEAK DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT LOG SOMETIME THIS WEEK 8D

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Oh, this? This, Cooper, is an owl. Yep.]

[... But on the bright side, it's like... virtually impossible to look at this thing and think 'minion of Bob'. This creature looks like it was designed to be Jesus's pillow or something. In fact, she turns her massive, fluffy head at the sound of Cooper's voice and lets out a melodic trill. c: SHE IS SO HAPPY TO BE OUTSIDE OF HER BALL AGAIN, LOOK AT ALL THESE NEW PEOPLE. HELLO!]

[Heather turns as well, a little startled, but grins crookedly when she sees who it is ... and how he's slowly walking up to them like he thinks the Togekiss is going to MAUL him.]</sub>

That is Sunny.

[video]

[restardom.livejournal.com]

Whoa--! What is that?

[ never seen a Togekiss. It is kind of precious. ]

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[It is, isn't it?]}

It's a... Tog-- ... um.

_{[She shrugs, bringing her arms up stiffly with her. Sunny is sort of... half-hovering, half-sitting on the girl's outstretched hands. Without the wings gently beating her aloft, Heather wouldn't have EVER been able to hold her up.]}

What those little Togepi things turn into.

[action]

[darkenedgales]

[Crow was pretty busy in the Mart in the meantime -- a delivery service company does not run itself, you see -- so he wasn't really paying attention to Heather... but that changes when he leaves the building and notices the HUGE FLUFFY OWL THING above her.]

... Wha--

[He stares at the owl, then at the Mart, and finally at Heather.]

Are they having a sale or something?

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[SURPRISE!]

[Heather cracks a big ol' grin at him.]</sub>

Yeah, I was the millionth customer to make a purchase this month, so they gave me a free flying marshmallow.

It's my lucky day!

[video] HAHAHA so late orz

[chemistryinmotion]

[Sorry he's not very good at that whole comforting thing. So he's just gonna... stare at that huge bird thing.]

Wait, so the tiny spiky-headed egg Pokémon grows up to be that? How does it get wings? [He will question everything in the Pokémon universe forever.]

[video] IT'S OKAY I BACKTAG FOREVER

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Fortunately, Heather doesn't... really need comforting. She's sad, sure... but the fact that Snake had... deliberately left these things for her makes her feel a little better than she had for the disappearances of some of her other friends... a couple of whom she'd also received Pokemon to remember them by, but still... somehow they'd seemed so abrupt, so unplanned. At least this one had given her a little closure, somehow... the bandanna proved that Snake had known who he would be sending them to in the event of his disappearance.]

[So she just grins a little bit.]</sub>

Right in one.

Anyway, haven't you seen a baby bird before?

They just have like... little naked nubbins. Like the baby egg thing has.

The feathers grow in later.

[Video]

[notmeantforgod.livejournal.com]

[At first Claudia's expression is reproachful, almost evasively concerned, and she opens her mouth to ask...

But then, illuminated by the brilliant flare of red light, there appears--

--an Angel.]

[Video] using Claudy's icon because I have none for Sunny.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yes. An angel.]

[... If angels looked like the unholy combination of a bird and something out of a Miyazaki childrens' movie.]

[But you know, all things considered, Heather herself would vastly prefer that to the angels she had seen in Silent Hill. Valtiel, you are one ugly sunnovabitch.]

[At first, the woman on the screen doesn't catch Heather's attention-- hell, Heather's not even ON the screen, the explosion of OWL FLUFF basically blotted her out. Judging by the muffled noises, she just got a face full of down.]

[... But SOMEONE sees Claudia.]

[That someone is Sunny.]

[And unlike her new owner, Sunny is sweet and friendly to everybody. The Togekiss lets out a melodic trill, gazing soulfully at the screen with its inky black eyes.]</sub>