foolishwren | 77. [Video/Action]

Current Mood: nostalgic
Current Location: Ecruteak City

77. [Video/Action]

_{[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.]}

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

_{[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).]}

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. _{[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.]}

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?

_{[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.]}

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

_{[... 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--]}

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!]}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[...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.

_{[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.]}

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

_{[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.]}

Hal!

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

[Well, that might have almost knocked down a thirty-year-old nerd. But he's older, wiser, and...not all that much stronger. But thankfully he only stumbled half a step or so before catching himself and hugging Heather as tightly as he could.]

Hey. It's good to see you again.

_{[Awww, the days of being able to tackle Otacon like a straw-man are over? Oh well, that's probably for the best.]

[Older or not, Hal Emmerich is still the big nerdy brother that Heather never had, and as soon as she's close enough, she throws her arms around him in that traditional Heather rib-cracking hug. And since talking = less important than hugging, she doesn't bother un-burying her face from his chest when she replies muffledly.]}

Didja miss me?

_{[And-- oho, what's this? Sunny wants in on the hugging action, so have a GIANT WHITE OWL waddling over and just sort of... snuggling.]}

You have no idea. I couldn't be happier to see you again.

[If it's any consolation, Heather, you could probably still break him in half. And oop giant owlthing.]

Yeah, I see you there, Sunny. At least now I know who you're named after.

_{[Well, she won't be breaking him in half any time soon-- she loves him too much to do that.]

[She'll just go on squeezing him for awhile, though. She does pull her head back enough to grin up at him, though.]}

Well, I was planning on just giving you a few months' worth of missed hugs, but since it's been five years for you, maybe I should just hug you all day and we'll call it even, huh?

_{[Sunny trills happily and extends her wings around them. c: HUGS.]}

Edited 2011-09-11 04:43 (UTC)

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

[So he might just hug you forever, Heather. Don't tempt him.]

It's settled, then.

_{[With a grin, she turns her head to the side so she can lean it against his chest a little more gently. Does she care that she is shamelessly hugging some guy in public? NOPE. No she does not. Otacon needs all the hugs.]}

Where's Liquid? I gotta break from hugging you at some point to beat him up, y'understand.

He's around here somewhere. I have to admit I'm a little worried about there being a tower in this city--he's probably prancing around the edge of the roof reciting Hamlet.

[Nope. Hugs forever. And the fact that he said that pretty casually either suggests that Otacon learned how sarcasm worked in the past five years or that he just learned to expect crazier shit.]

_{[Awww, Otacon learned a new trick!]}

That... would not surprise me. At all.

It's Liquid. Is there anything that would surprise you at this point?

Not really.

Maybe if he was wearing a tutu.

That would surprise me.

... But only a little.

. . .

He had to have learned all that prancing somewhere.

_{[... okay well now Heather is just dissolving into giggles.]}

[A DARK SHADOW FALLS]

Hal. Heather.

Good to see that you're catching up so well.

[Heather, your head is going to get noogied so hard you don't even know.]

[It's almost cute how you think you're going to make him all panicky and flail-y now. Silly Liquid.]

Oh good, I told her you were around somewhere. Guess it wasn't 'practicing Shakespeare on the highest possible surface'.

I bet he eve-- _{[SHRIEK.]

[Liquid, how'd you get so sneaky? Heather lets go of Otacon instinctively and whips around-- oh there you are Liquid. H-HELLO.]}

HEY!

We weeeeeeere just talking about youuuuuu...!

I know you were. I heard.

[HE'S REACHING FOR YOU--

AND IT'S NOOGIE TIME.]

[This is the kind of man you're sleeping with, Otacon. The kind of man who noogies girls.]

[There is maturity everywhere.]

[HE WISHES HE WAS SURPRISED.]

~~[popcorn.gif]~~

_{[... AAAAAH AH AH AH AH NO WAIT-- DAMMIT]

[After the long trek from Olivine to Ecruteak, Heather's in no shape to be dodging headlocks (or maybe she's just happy enough to see them both that she doesn't try too hard-- that could be it, too), so she just lets out a squeal and grapples with Liquid's arms as her scalp is assaulted.]}

AH! AH!

Nooo, we were saying GOOD things! GOOD THINGS!

You can't fool me with your lies!

[This right here was the NOOGIE OF A LIFETIME.]

[THIS IS A NOOGIE SO POWERFUL THAT ANY OF HER DESCENDANTS WILL CARRY THE MARKS OF LIQUID'S KNUCKLES IN THEIR SKULLS FOR ALL TIME.]

Really, Liquid. Are you trying to take her head off?

[CHILDREN. BEHAVE.]

I'm not lyiiiiing!

_{[FLAIL WRITHE WHINE.]}

Haaaal, heeeeeelp!

_{[This is so the opposite of 'beat Liquid up' that it's not even funny. HEATHER WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR PLANS.]

[and no, Otacon, they will not behave. That's like asking a five year old to do advance calculus. It just doesn't happen.]}

Of course not, Hal. This is simply our customary greeting.

[Maybe he would noogie impressions of his knuckles on her scalp, but her head would still be attached when he was done!]

And man up, Heather.

[You are now in a headlock being noogied. This just goes from great to better, amirite.]

[Sigh.]

I don't know what you expect me to do, Heather. It's not as if I can just spray him with a water bottle like a cat or something.

[...Though he did make a note to try that sometime. Just in case it worked.]

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orz I thought I tagged this days ago gdit LJ

lj is an ass 8|b

IT REALLY IS sorry bro I'll let you know when it's your turn next time! ;-;