80. [Video/Text/Action for Ecruteak]

[foolishwren]

_{[Before the video shows anything, there's some shuffling sounds, and then the tell-tale noise of a cardboard package being ripped open. Then, Heather's voice, muffled at first, speaks up.]}


... Again?

<sub>[She sounds surprised. ... Unpleasantly so.]

[The 'Gear is tugged out of her pocket at that point, its view wavering and then settling on the torn-open box she apparently just received by Dragonite delivery, in the Ecruteak inn lobby. The Dragonite in question is already slinging its mailbag over its shoulder and lumbering out the door, visible over the edge of the box.]

[Much like one of Heather's posts from earlier in the month, inside the box sits a single Pokeball. She had pulled out the 'Gear to check the Trainer ID, and doesn't realize it's on yet. There's some clacking noises as she thumbs the buttons a little distractedly... and then she gets her answer.]</sub>

... God dammit...

<sub>[Her voice had gone from surprised to resigned in a surprisingly short amount of time, but then, given the number of friends of hers disappearing lately... that's hardly surprising. And in this case, it's one that's hitting her a little harder than she might have previously thought. Of all the presences in Johto she hadn't even begun to think might up and poof out of existence one day... and this is one that she'd still had so many questions for.]

[That little praying mantis soul skittering down the streets in my head... that really WAS him, wasn't it.]

[She heaves a sigh and her hand appears, reaching into the box to take the ball out.]</sub>

Might as well see who I got...

_{[She presses the button with her thumb and triggers the obligatory flash of white light...]}


.... What the-- ... aw, HELL.

<sub>[Wow. From surprised, to resigned, to.... indignant?]

[The dazzling light fades after a second or two, and shows....]</sub>

GENGKI--GEN GENGAR GAR GARRHH GURRH!

_{[... A Gengar that, if it were speaking English, would surely be cussing everyone and their grandmothers out in language so foul it would make a sailor blush. Heather is already recoiling from it, groaning out loud. Of course. Of course he'd leave her... THAT.]}

God dammit... of all the-- HEY. Hey, GHOST... thing.

_{[Slightly the Gengar, who had clearly been cooped up in that ball for quite some time during transit and is now in the foulest of moods and wondering where the hell L is, turns his red-eyed glare on Heather, and the 'Gear. >8( WHAT!]}

Look, Ryuzaki's ... ghost thing, I know you're probably pissed, but me and ghosts? Don't get along. So if you're gonna-- ... I dunno, be part of my team or whatever, I'd better not get any of that funny business from you, all right?

<sub>[She remembers the angry messages scrawled all over L's hotel-room walls, okay?]

[Needless to say, the ghost Pokemon merely scrunches his face up in response. Who's THIS bitch?! He raises both stubby paw-hands and proceeds to flip off his new trainer without so much as a how-do-you-do. Heather (still not visible-- the 'Gear is dangling idly in her hand by her side) just huffs.]</sub>

Now, see, that? You can do THAT all you want. Just don't touch my stuff, or my roomies, or do any of your freaky-ass ghost shit, okay? ... Okay. Great. Ugh...

<sub>[She starts to turn away. Better go upstairs and brace Henry for the fact that there was now going to be a GHOST hanging around on occasio-- askhg';JGA;LDFKJG';S WHAFUCK--]



[Heather abruptly appears on-camera as Slightly bodily yanks the smallish rug residing in front of the inn counter right out from under her feet-- interestingly, her hair is now... er. Two-toned. When did THAT happen? Well, either way, she's biting the dirt without further ado. WHUMP. The 'Gear clatters to the floor... only to immediately be snatched up and filled with a great big ghostly grin.]

[At the same time? A text message is sent out to all of Johto, with the sound of the Gengar's spiky little fingers clacking away on the keys smugly on video simultaneously.]</sub>


MAN TAHT BOX WUZ crampd as shit where iz my trainr ryoozakey im totlly P. O.'d @ him i bet he ran off w/ his durty slut-hoe

whoo is dis chick anywayz she looks liek a boye

o well anywayz i PWNED her, w/e w/e

I GESS IM DA BOSS AROUND TIHS JOINT NOW SO RESPECKT--




K;LJSDG;FHJDL;G


DFSGJLFGH;H

GSGGG


JHHJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ





_{[ooc: Responses will come either... mid-fight or after things have settled down. Ecruteak-goers, feel free to experience the wonder that is a teenage girl rolling around on the floor and trying to punch a ghost.]}

Comments

[video]

[usedpaint.livejournal.com]

[... what on earth did he just witness. that was one of the strangest-- but priorities, priorities!]

Signorina, are you all right?

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[You witnessed the miracle of semi-literate Pokemon. They're gonna make a Nature documentary on the subject any day now.]

[Needless to say, there's no reply right off the bat-- although the pile of girl-and-ghost does roll past the screen a couple of times.]

[Eventually, though, a very dirty Heather pops up, looking livid.]</sub>

Do I LOOK all right?!

_{[... Forgive her, she just had a ghost yank a carpet out from under her and then text that he pwned her to the entire network.]}

[video]

[4leafcleaver.livejournal.com]

...Heather?

A-are you okay? You should probably stick him back into his ball...

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Heather is currently on her back on the floor with Slightly on HIS back on top of her, flailing his stubby arms and legs against the chokehold-headlock combo she's currently got him in.]

[She pauses to consider Clover's suggestion.]

[... NO. >8I No, she likes this better.]</sub>

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

[He'd been fully prepared to ask what was wrong -- as Dog brought him the 'gear in the middle of him trying to peel Cannon off his shoulder... but...]

[What.]

[What did he just.]

[What is this.]

Go for its joints. Or the optics. Try the optics.

[Yes, in the midst of his confusion, the old timer is trying to advise her on how to fight a ghost.]

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Shhhh, Ironhide, shhhh. Only WHAT THE FUCK now.]

[Needless to say, the screen is pretty much just showing... a jumble of girl and ghost. It looks like they rolled outside at some point.]

[Against all odds, though? Heather seems to be winning, if only because Slightly had clearly not even BEGUN to consider the possibility that a human attacking him was a thing. Why is this a thing? HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW.]

[His red eyes are practically bugging out of his head as Heather wrestles him in the dirt. OH GOD MAKE IT STOP WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS GIRL]</sub>

I'LL RIP ITS OPTICS OUT--

GENGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH

_{[WHAT THE HELL IS GOING OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNN]}

[action]

[no-ufo-ending.livejournal.com]

<sub>[ c: Doopdedoo commin' into the lobby with a soda and a book of photos with GLOSSY FINISH awh shit yeah he found a tourist trap.]

[And then he beheld his roomie flailing around on the ground with what looked like Grimace's punkass brother. A pang right in the center of his forehead startles him. D: Oowww ow ow. What was--]

[OH.]</sub>

HEATHER!

<sub>[OH GOD OH GOD IT WAS GONNA REACH INTO HER AND SQUISH HER HEART.]

[Henry threw his soda at them.]

[Yeah, that'll show it.]</sub>

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Way to go, Henry. You are a champion.]

[The can poinks off of the pile of snarling girl-and-ghost, ineffectively.]

[On the bright side, Heather doesn't appear to be in pain?]

[On the not so bright side, she kind of looks like she's fighting an angry purple beanbag.]

[You should probably, uh. Do something, Henry.]</sub>

video;

[puzzling]

[ --ghost Pokemon... Layton's kinda glad that his Dusknoir is relatively mild compared to others, if you don't count the whole "tying Luke to a bear" thing. ]

Miss Mason? [ Did you just leap at a ghost-- ] Do you have its Pokeball nearby?

video;

[foolishwren]

<sub>[What's that, Professor? You expected Heather to do the civilized thing and just return it to its ball?]

[HA! HA! ESTOY USANDO EL MÉTODOS DRÁSTICAS!]

[She appears in front of the screen a few minutes later, looking filthy. Under one arm is the Gengar, head dangling limply from a neck that looks oddly thin, like when you take a loosely-sand-filled stuffed animal and flop it around. Gengars aren't solid in the strictest sense.]

[His tongue is flopped out and if it were physically possible, he would have made his eyes look like x's. This is not the sort of welcome he imagined when he was in that box.]</sub>

What?

[Video]

[hintcoinplz.livejournal.com]

[Just watching

in amazement.]

M-Mr. Ghost Pokemon, I really think-

[Flinches at the sound of a crashing sound.]

-that you really ought to-

[O-oh, that doesn't look good.]

-give back-

[Oh gosh, what was that snapping sound just now?]

-miss Heather's Pokegear.

...

Um, miss Heather, are you all right?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

_{[At some point, Slightly's face appears in front of the screen. He looks HORRIFIED.]}

GENGAH! GANGAH GAHN GENG--

<sub>[HELP, SMALL CHILD-- oh god.]

[BOFFO]</sub>

Me? I'm FINE. It's this-- .... GHOST that you should be worried about!

[video]

[shellderkillder.livejournal.com]

[There is a Sneasel staring.

SHAMEFUL DISPLAY.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[... Oh. OH! It's a Pokemon! Not that Slightly gets along particularly well with ANYBODY, but he's pretty sure right now that ALL HUMANS HAVE GONE INSANE.]}

HEY! HEY HEY HEY HEY!

What's wrong with this chick!?

_{[... He says as he briefly gets the upper hand and rolls over onto Heather, smothering her into the ground.]}

[video]

[ripped]

Fuck yeah!

Kick its ass!

[ What, were you expecting 'oh geez, are you all right?!!!'

FUCK NO HE IS IMPRESSED, THIS SHIT IS QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT ]

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[That's the plan, Nero. THAT'S THE PLAN.]

[Needless to say, judging by the shouts of profanity (in both human AND Pokemon dialects), the fight is a vigorous one. ... And he'll just... be able to watch them roll past the screen back and forth for awhile.]

[POW WHACK BOFFO-- okay enough comic sound effects.]

[Eventually she emerges... somewhat victorious. Only in the sense that she's now sitting on top of a Gengar who is wearing an expression that wouldn't be out of place if someone had just slapped him with a Magikarp and told him that the sky was yellow. They're both filthy by this point, and half of Heather's hair is sticking straight up from where Slightly LICKED her in an attempt to paralyze her UNSTOPPABLE RAGE. It didn't work. Her rage was just too unstoppable.]

[... Everything's kinda tingly now, though. :(]</sub>

I fucking HATE ghosts.

[video]

[holdsleftovers.livejournal.com]

[ ghfjhdjk what-- ]

Heather-san! Are you all right?

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[That would depend on one's definition of 'all right'.]

[It takes a moment or so, but eventually she rises from the fray, holding up a hand and opening her mouth to respond.]

[... And then a clawy purple hand reaches up, snags a fistful of her hair, and yanks her back down.]

[ONE MOMENT PLEASE.]</sub>

[usedbitetodeath.livejournal.com]

.....

[Oh. Well. This was amusing. QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT, RIGHT HERE. Both of his Pokémon (his original Houndour and a newly caught Pidgey) were also watching - they appeared to be greatly interested in it as well.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[IT IS QUITE QUALITY, ISN'T IT.]

[Look, Hibari, she's even sinking her teeth into it! ... And then regretting it, because it turns out biting ghosts isn't really a good idea, unless you want most of your face to go numb.]

[Eventually she does pop up in front of the 'Gear, though. ... Looking livid.]

[>8( WHAT.]</sub>

[Video]

[k9tantei.livejournal.com]

[]

Yanno. I uh. Wish y'luck with that.

Got a really, really powerful Dark type t'threaten him with or somethin?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Awe is a pretty good reaction to this entire situation.]

[When Heiji's question comes through, Heather's pinned on her stomach, making strangled noises because Slightly is sitting on her back and determinedly giving one of her arms a mean Indian Burn.]</sub>

GGAAHH-- balls're UPSTAIRS-- get off me you fuckin' PLUM PUDDING or I swear to god I'll call Bill Murray and he'll come here and zap your shit to kingdom COME--

_{[... But yeeeaaaah, Wren and Alessa, Heather's resident Dark types, are unfortunately vastly underleveled in comparison to Slightly.]}

[video]

[sciencebipches.livejournal.com]

[While Eridan listened and saw and read all of that. There was ONE thing that stood out to him.]

Your hair looks fuckin' TERRIBLE, you should probably get on fixin' that, unless you RELISH in hawin' a blithe disregard towards tasteful dye jobs and would rather be a downright fuckin' hair-CALAMITY.

[Obviously the atrocious two toned hair is WAY more important than the ghost pokemon being a bit of a douche.That? Eridan doesn't care for, she probably deserved it anyway, or something.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Go fig.]

[Well, the next time Heather has the upper hand in the fight, she'll lean over to the 'Gear. ... While yanking hard on Slightly's ear-tuft things.]</sub>

Yeah? Well, YOUR hair looks like somebody with a sinus infection snorted a whole packet of grape Kool-Aid powder and then blew their nose into it, so.

[action]

[vulpesvivus]

...Need help with that?

[Totally calm. Heather kicking the shit out of a Gengar and vice versa? Yeah, he's seen weirder.]

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[... Yep. Yeah, he really has.]

[This isn't really that abnormal. Heather's HAIR is probably weirder than the situation right now.]

[She's currently sort of ... TANGLED in the Gengar, whose blobby amorphous form is easily warped. Now they're just sort of... LYING ON THE FLOOR AND MUTUALLY FLAILING HRRRNRGNGHGHH >8( LET GO]</sub>

Could you--?!

[action]

[usedsuperpower.livejournal.com]

<sub>[Stitch doesn't spend much time in the lobby, only a few seconds a day when he's walking out of the inn and then again when he goes back inside. Today, he was just in time to witness this miracle.]

[He stops. Stares. Then points at her and starts laughing hysterically]</sub>

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[... Oh. Oh no. Oh no he is not.]

[Heather's head WHIPS up.]

[... And suddenly the Gengar on her back is completely forgotten.]

[She is literally clawing her way across the floor towards Stitch like some kind of monster from a Japanese horror movie. Slightly, perturbed by the sudden change in demeanor, actually blinks down at his 'ride'.]

[... Dude. :I]</sub>

[video] 1/2

[tigerlikereflex.livejournal.com]

[Tuning in just in time for the texting, Kotetsu is going to start off with the nice expression of 'w...ha..t?' Hey, give him some slack, he's never seen a Gengar before.]

[video] too many of kotetsu's stupid faces are appropriate

[tigerlikereflex.livejournal.com]

[THEN IT TURNS INTO A FIST FIGHT dakjlkjgakjkjgd CRAP]

Ah --- Purple thing! [WORDS MAKE NO SENSE, this makes no seeense. Y-yeah, he's torn between SOMEHOW TRYING TO HELP and this dumbstruck face he's stuck on.]

[video]

[subvertio.livejournal.com]

[Heather, he's not laughing at you, he's laughing with you. And that you now own a shittyghost who is likely to do this again.

Also that it said it pwnd you, that's causing some good deep belly laughs here.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Damn straight he's gonna do it again. Especially since he's evidently learned that shoving his arms THROUGH Heather is a pretty good way to get the upper hand, judging by the way it makes her squawk and flail.]

[... Not too much for her to not be able to shout--]</sub>

SHUT THE FUCK UP!!

_{[--at the 'Gear, though.]}

[Video]

[shiromadoushi]

[[...so that was where that one had ended up... Poor Heather!]]

Are you all right? [[Crap, how did Ryuzaki manage that one when he was doing this?

... he... really didn't, did he? So much for helpful advice!

Blackheart is hovering in the background, attempting to get the attention of the pokemon to say "Heeeeey~!" but.. is kinda being lazy about it.]]

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[At the moment? Nope. Because Slightly discovered that Heather can be easily incapacitated by having a ghosty arm stuck through her stomach. It's like having pins and needles AND one of those obnoxious hand-buzzers stuck inside her AND being tickled ALL AT ONCE WHY DO GHOSTS SUCK SO MUCH AAAAAA--]

[Slightly does, however, notice his old compadre on the screen-- and this steals most of his attention.]</sub>

HEY! Blackheart!

What's going on?!

Who is this crazy chick?!

Where's Ryuzaki?

[Video]

[freezetheskies.livejournal.com]

[Well. That's...one way to go about things. At least it's not a ghost from his world, at any rate.]

You do realize you might stand a better chance of controlling it if you use the ball it came in, don't you?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

_{[Or a ghost from hers, for that matter... they tend to be a little more malevolent. Heather would know. One had shoved her into the path of an oncoming train once.]}

YEAH, but this-- _{[There's a sort of... weird gloopy noise as she punches the Gengar in the gut.]}-- is more satisfying--!

_{[... At least until he punches her BACK.]}

[Video]

[eatsyouout]

...pffff.

[Well, guess some things in Johto aren't so bad after all. Or at least, to Crazy Ass-Butt McGee here.]

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Indeed! Where ELSE are you gonna get footage of an all-out brawl between a teenage girl and a ghost?]

[Needless to say, the fight carries on for awhile in varying degrees of visibility (as they roll back and forth past the 'Gear's camera, before Heather eventually emerges on top and snatches up the device, pinning Slightly to the ground with one knee.]</sub>

What're YOU laughin' at, punk?!

[video]

[partyofwin.livejournal.com]

What's a slut? It doesn't sound like any gardening thing I've ever heard of!

[She totally knows what a hoe is! Just... not in this context. At all. And of course, there is some concern for this stranger! After all, some of that looked painful.]

Are you gonna be okay?

[video]

[foolishwren]

It's-- not important-- GIMME that, you pile of--

_{[TOO LATE SLIGHTLY IS ALREADY TEXTING]}

A SLUT-HOE IZ A DURTY UGLEE WUMAN WHOO STEELZ TRAINRS FRUM TEHYR POKEEMONS ADN DUZNT EVEN CURRaskjghd'l

dfsah;lsd'J DLG;G


_{[... Y-yes, Pinkie. They'll both be okay. After they're done... um... pummeling each other.]}

[action] adds to ALL THE THREADS

[tapestodiane]

<sub>[Right. So he'd seen the text message first and found it VERY odd indeed, but he gets his answer to that when he walks into the lobby a few minutes later.]

[Probably when it's starting to come to an end, actually, because that's how good his timing is.]

[Reaction? First to completely and utterly freeze because uh a Gengar sort of possessed his buddy a few months back, but as it quickly becomes clear that this one is more obnoxious than manevolent, he'll just. Stare for a moment, then spring into action.]

[COP VERSUS GHOSTS. we've seen this before.]</sub>

-- need a hand with that?

[action] MORE COOPER THREADS = MORE -HAPPY-

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yeah, Heather's texts, while not exactly thesis-paper quality, are usually a little more literate than that.]

[It's probably a good thing he walks in when he does, actually, because while Heather is in no immediate danger (Slightly is fortunately more in the OBNOXIOUS category of ghosts than the 'dangerous'), he's currently got the upper hand because he's discovered that sticking his hands THROUGH her gets a pretty priceless reaction. He's now sitting on her back and flailing his arms in and out of her ribcage while she flops like a fish and makes strangled noises like a parrot being rattled around in a trash can. Because he's a ghost and ghosts do things like this.]

[SAGH;DFG;DSGH; IT'S LIKE HAVING ONE OF THOSE ANNOYING HAND BUZZERS ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF HER SKIN AND CONSTANTLY GOING OFF--]

[Yes, Cooper. The pleading look would indicate that the answer is yes.]</sub>

[action]

[usednastyplot.livejournal.com]

[Oh my god Heather, that hair! What is with that hair!? And now after that fight it's even more unkept and messy than Becketts bird nest! Fffft, he wants to fix it! It's giving him a second complex just looking at it!]

[He was just trying to get the small bag of newly bought necessities up into the room before Beckett came back from his 'adventures' around town and tried to do something ridiculous like eat the packets of espresso raw before Artemis put them away (yes, it did happen before, yes, it was horrifying, no, he doesn't want to talk about it).]

[Artemis gives an expired sigh, dare he even open this can of worms? Heather can be rather cutting when she's irate. Diana looks amused though. In a condescending way.]

I see it's business as usual with you, Heather.

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[... That... voice!]

[It's familiar.]

[... And one that she hasn't heard anywhere but through her speakers in quite some time. Partially distracted by the fact that Slightly is perched on her back and trying to yank one of her boots off (presumably so that he can HIT her with it, Heather looks up from her position sprawled on her stomach in the dirt. YEP. BUSINESS AS USUAL.]</sub>

... --Artemis?!

<sub>[Does she sound surprised? Yes, because she IS surprised. She didn't even know he was in Ecruteak! ... And look at that, she even used your proper name for once.]

[... but HEY, leave the hair alone! It's just in that awkward growing-out phase between color changes!]</sub>

[usedsuitup.livejournal.com]

...Woah, Heather, you dye your hair?

[Way to miss the point Barney]

[foolishwren]

_{[Needless to say, he'll be getting a reply once the all-out brawl has ended-- and there's even a tuft of that hair missing because Slightly YANKED IT OUT.]}

What, you thought I was a natural blond?

[VIDEO] - You art is amazing!

[sadisticwarfare.livejournal.com]

[That is a rather impressive-looking chimera. ...That's probably not the first thing he should be noticing, all things considered, but Archer watches in amusement before finally responding.]

You seem to be having fun, Miss Mason. What sort of Pokémon is that? It's fascinating.

[There's a brief pause, and Archer smirks before continuing.]

I do have to wonder if you did this well in the tournament. [Despite the words and sarcastic tone, Archer's joking. That's rare enough as it is, clearly your antics have put him in a good mood!]

[VIDEO] - Aw, thank you! c:

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Not as impressive as some of Heather's others-- but certainly more obnoxious. ... And higher-leveled. Truth be told, the only reason Heather is winning (or 'won') this whole fight is because Slightly was not expecting... um. That. After he 'pwned' her.]

[She responds once the trouble-making ghost Pokemon's been shoved into his ball, and although she's quite scuffed-up, she doesn't look TOO worse for the wear.]</sub>

I did that well in the tournament 'till the ol' man dumped me off the edge of a platform in the second round. _{[She has no shame in admitting this, considering Ironhide went on to totally waste everybody else in the competition. It'd just been bad luck that she'd gone up against him so early in the game.]}

And it's a ghost.

Ghosts are dicks.

That's basically everything that anybody needs to know about ghosts.

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

[Okay sorry Heather Envy really can't help laughing because what is this it's ridiculous. He's a liittle worried because last time he saw a Gengar it was Axe Crazy and possessing someone, but this one doesn't look like it's going to. He can always ask if she's alright later.]

Keep hitting it, it looks like you're winning!

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It is ABSOLUTELY ridiculous beyond belief.]

[Fortunately, Slightly isn't axe-crazy-- just bad-mannered. And it's not really like his new trainer is much better than he is in that regard, so that probably won't be changing any time soon.]

[She's a little too busy to give a thumbs-up to the screen, but she tosses her head a little to show she heard. She IS winning, judging by the way she's managed to get on top of Slightly and is pulling a fist back to punch him in his slightly amorphous face... but then he decides to stick his whole arm straight through her stomach, because he's a ghost and he can do that. This gets an indignant (and undignified) YEEK sound out of Heather.]

[SJGHDF;G'DGLKHSDG;L TINGLY GHOST ARM STICKING THROUGH ME AAHAHGHGGHGH]</sub>