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]

[show_my_cannons]

If you had gotten around to its back, it could not have reached you with those arms.

[It's just helpful advice, Heather. He means well.]

[But... then he blinks. Frowns.]

What happened to your head?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

Yeah, yeah, hindsight's 20/20... <sub>[She'd... she'd just found it too tempting to punch it in the face. :(]

[Then she winces and reaches up to rub her head gingerly.]</sub>

Yeah, I think he like... yanked out a tuft of it somewhere...

_{[... Heather that's not what Ironhide is talking about.]}

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

Yeah, it is. Which is why you need better foresight.

[He shakes his head, and points to his own hair. What... little there is of it.]

It changed.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

_{[At first she blinks.]}

... OH!

Yeah, uh, I'm growing my roots out.

_{[...Heather he is probably not going to understand what that means.]}

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

[He stares at the video feed as if Heather had just started speaking Cybertronian.]

...

Huh?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

... Uh...

Letting my hair go back to its normal color.

Y'know, like...

_{[... She can't actually think of a comparison. HOW DOES SHE EXPLAIN THIS.]}

... I'm not a natural blond. _{[She points to the black portion of her hair.]} This is how it'd look normally if I didn't change it.

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

It... changes color?

[Video]

[no-ufo-ending.livejournal.com]

_{[A scruffy photographer leans into the shot. His expression is unreadable.]}

It protects us from predators.

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

. . .

[Henry. What. What are you doing.]

It what.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[... s-snerk.]

[Heather actually has to choke back a giddy laugh when Henry leans into the frame and adds his input. There are times when she seriously has to wonder if Henry pays attention to ANYTHING... and then on occasion he does THIS. And proves that he's more attentive than he looks.]</sub>

... Camouflage.

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

For your head. And only your head.

[He folds his arms, and raises an eyebrow.]

[Video]

[no-ufo-ending.livejournal.com]

_{[Henry has still ben in-shot this WHOLE TIME. And his face hasn't changed. He can read Ironhide's 'not sure if trolling...' face and adds:]}

It's a mammal thing.

_{[YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND. GO BACK TO SPACE, SPACE ROBOT.]}

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

It does not look like any camouflage the army used.

[STARE B(]

[Video]

[foolishwren]

Natural camouflage is different than that stuff.

Plus, I mean... airborne predators pretty much only see the tops of our heads anyway...

_{[Heather is nowhere near as good at keeping a straight face as Henry is, unfortunately. But she's TRYING. She's trying SO HARD.]}

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

... Your hair is only now changing, to hide from predators.

[Can you sense his disbelief yet, guys?]

[Video]

[no-ufo-ending.livejournal.com]

This place is weird, man. Messes with our biology.

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

...

Uh huh.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

Yeah, seriously. My natural rhythms have been off ever since I got here.

S'probably why my hair hasn't changed till now. I was gettin' kinda worried.

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

How come his has not changed, hmn?

[He makes a gesture toward Henry.]

[Video]

[no-ufo-ending.livejournal.com]

I've only been here a few months. Heather's been here way longer than me...and Mr. Mason, too. His hair is going kind of grey now, isn't it?

_{[AND WHO'S FAULT MIGHT THAT BE? He actually turns to squint at Heather. He liked Mr. Mason! She made him worry so much.]}

I hope mine changes soon, I don't want to be eaten by...whatever else the hell they have out here.

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

[He gives Henry a look. This look may have originally been used to peel paint.]

Fine. Then I will ask around.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[... Whoops, she sees that look from Henry. C-c'mon, man, it's not her fault her dad's a worrywart! It IS her fault that she's a trouble-magnet, though. At least partially.]

[But she nods vigorously in agreement.]</sub>

Yeah, it seriously took this long just for mine to start doing its thing... I was getting a little worried.

_{[... And then she's forced to cough into her hand to hide a semi-hysterical laugh-- oh god they are SO busted.]}

[Video]

[show_my_cannons]

[There is a long. Long silence.]

Put your father on.

[SAM WOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING. Or Lennox. Or even Ratchet, in his babbling.]

[Video] this reaction image has been Henry-mun-approved.

[foolishwren]

_{[... uh oh.]}

[Video] BRILLIANT.

[show_my_cannons]

[He folds his arms.]

[He's waiting.]