83. [Video/Action for Ecruteak]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[You guys.]

[You guys.]

[It is so cold outside.]

[No, seriously, it's bitter and the snow's been building up and for the towns up north like Mahogany and Ecruteak, the snow is rooooollin' in.]

[But unlike last year, when Heather pretty much spent the first snows of the season filming her Pokemon skidding around on the streets of Goldenrod trying to eat snowflakes ... this time, when the feed comes on, it's filming the snow out the window from indoors, where it's brightly lit, with low, cheerful chatter in the background.]

[Outside, the snow is drifting down in big, fat flakes over the old houses of Ecruteak, making the whole dang place look like a gingerbread town.]

[Heather's voice cuts in.]</sub>

Guess what, you guys.

_{[And then the 'Gear is scooted around, giving a jerky view of what seems to be the interiors of one of the several old diners in the town, festively decorated and full of old folks enjoying their coffee. Then Heather's face slides into view, and she leans in for a moment or so, adjusting the 'Gear's position a little, biting her lip as she does so. Then she withdraws, grinning widely.]}

I am no longer a drain on society.

That's right, people.

I have a job.

Try not to faint.

<sub>[... She does look slightly less messy than usual. Like she actually tried to do something with her hair and gave up halfway through as opposed to one sixth of the way through. ... Oh. And also. She's in a dress.]

[... But don't get too excited, guys. There's nothing to fill the dress with so somehow Heather In a Dress looks even more like a boy than Heather In Normal Clothes does. Still, viewers, feel free to take a moment or two to inwardly marvel at the bizarre, surreal vision that is 'Heather Mason in a nice, old-school waitress outfit', but don't expect her to wait up for you. She's already continuing, scratching absent-mindedly at the collar of the dress as she does so.]</sub>

Figured I'd better rake up some cash before Christmas gets too close-- gotta get people presents and stuff, y'know? So yeah. The old folks who own the place are super chill. They make my last manager look like .... well, she already was a psycho bitch-monster of death, but they make her look like even MORE of one. _{[She pauses, canting her head to give the 'Gear one of those 'YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT' looks, because there HAVE to be some people out there who remember where Heather worked around this time last year. And WHO she worked for.]} Guys who were here one year ago, you probably remember her.

But yeah, so, they gave me permission to check messages and stuff if it's not too busy in here, so! Best bosses ever.

And hey, if you're in the area, stop by and visit or something. It's nice and warm in here.

... Plus...

_{[And that's when she holds up a coffeepot, with a cheerful grin that borders ever-so-slightly on the sinister.]}

I'm legally sanctioned to pour boiling hot liquids in close proximity to people now! Sweet, huh?

_{[End feed. c:]}

Comments

Action

[harryusedworry.livejournal.com]

[Nearby, drinking some coffee and writing some notes. He's been working part time at a book store nearby. Yeah, the Mason's are productive.]

Action

[foolishwren]

<sub>[UGH OMG DAD WHY DO YOU KEEP VISITING ME AT WORK-- nah, she likes being able to look over her shoulder and see him sitting over there with his notes. A few years ago? She'd have been surly and sulky as hell over her dorky loser dad hanging around her workplace, but now? The company's nice.]

[It helps that the atmosphere of this diner is so homey. It just feels like a family place.]

[There's no one making orders at the moment, so she heads over and puts her elbows down on the counter, leaning in to look at his papers.]</sub>

Whatcha writing?

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

[ALSO NEARBY, trying not to snicker, but obviously not trying too hard since he's... still snickering. He'd marvel at the fact the great Heather Mason was wearing a dress if it wasn't such an... old-fashioned outfit worth poking fun of.

He is probably only here to tease her]

Oooi, waitress~ [waving :3] I'm out of hot chocolate!

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[YEAH IT'S. NOT VERY ATTRACTIVE IS IT. Actually, it would've been quite pretty (in an old-fashioned way, anyway) if she'd actually... you know. Fit into it. But it's pretty obvious these uniforms were not made with the builds of scrawny string-bean girls in mind. ... And she's not exactly trying too hard to look the part, considering she's wearing ratty old sneakers and her visible knees are covered in band-aids. She almost looks like she wandered into the diner and put on the uniform by mistake.]

[But with a devilish smirk, she heads over with pitcher of hot chocolate.]</sub>

Oh sure, lemme get that for y--OH NOOOOO!

_{[She fakes a stumble, as though she was about to pour it all over his shoulder. ... Probably a good thing her bosses aren't watching because PRETENDING TO POUR HOT LIQUIDS ON YOUR FRIENDS IS A NO-NO ON THE JOB.]}

video;

[chemistryinmotion]

[Herp derp breaking hiatus for this.

Have a big grin from Wally.]

You know, if I didn't have a girlfriend and we hadn't already been through that whole bad pickup lines thing, I'd totally be hitting on you right now. I mean, who doesn't love a girl in uniform?

[He definitely does. Good thing Midori works at the cosplay cafe, she has many a uniform. Aww yeah.]

video;

[foolishwren]

Oh, yeah, because this is the sexiest article of clothing ever.

_{[Making a mock-astonished oh my god face, she picks at the chest of the dress, which is... um... completely slack, considering it was probably made with more gifted ladies in mind, pinching it with both fingers and holding it out. ... And then letting the fabric fall again.]}

Awww yeah.

Dat dress.

_{[And then she wolf-whistles.]}

... But no, seriously, man-- questioning your taste here like whoa.

[video]

[itsthebutz.livejournal.com]

[Larry is toootally marveling at Heather's dress. He never thought he'd see the day where Heather wore a dress.]

Ohhhh yes, how could I forget that lady's screaming blasting through my 'Gear multiple times?

Nice dress, by the way.

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yeah. Recently, Satan was quoted as looking around and saying "Man, it's chilly in here."]

[Heather shudders.]</sub>

That sound is still ricocheting around the inside of my skull, months later.

But pfft, thanks? I dunno, look at this thing. Skirts I'm fine with, love skirts, but this thing makes me feel like a pit bull in a granny outfit. It just doesn't work.

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

I don't think anybody could forget her, we all heard her often enough.

Not sure how safe it is for you to be waving boiling liquids around, though.

[video]

[foolishwren]

Pff, whaddya mean? This is perfectly sa-- oh FUCK--

<sub>[... Yeah she'd... swung the coffee pot around a little to prove her point and accidentally splattered some of the dark liquid onto the counter. Good thing nobody was sitting right there.]

[She looks around hastily to make sure her bosses hadn't seen that, and then grabs a handful of napkins to wipe it up.]</sub>

voice.

[reasserts.livejournal.com]

And they pay you to do that? As jobs go, that's not too bad.

voice.

[foolishwren]

Well, someone's gotta pour the coffee.

What, did they not have waitresses where you're from?

[isahero]

[America gives her a thumbs up before-] Congratulations on the job! I'm working myself so I can't really visit though, otherwise I would.

It seems like a nice place there!

[foolishwren]

Yeah, it's pretty nice. I've worked in a few restaurants before back home and stuff, but never like... a diner.

For old people.

Old people are totally chill, I don't know why I never hung out with them before.

[sadisticwarfare.livejournal.com]

[Good job, Heather! You're "no longer a drain on society"? You get slow claps! That said, Archer has no poker face, so it's quite obvious that he's amused rather than anything else.]

Congratulations are in order, I suppose.

[Your job though? That will get an even wider smirk!]

Would you really want to get fired so soon after obtaining a job? Do be careful with that, would you?

[foolishwren]

Man, if I could last like three months at the Goldenrod Department Store without being fired, there's no way I could get fired from this place.

[video]

[restardom.livejournal.com]

Heather, don't abuse your power.

[video]

[foolishwren]

You think I would abuse my coffee privileges?

Frankly, Rise, I am offended.

video;

[doesactivities.livejournal.com]

That... does not look like what tea pots look like where I'm from.

But you look very professional! Congratulations.

video;

[foolishwren]

I'm the most professional.

_{[She looks over at the coffeepot though.]}

Oh... well, we have regular teapots too... but this is for coffee.

[action]

[darkenedgales]

[Sup Heather, guess who's back in Ecruteak? Crow is! And also kind of busy doing the Christmas shopping. Which is proving to be a little difficult, considering his right arm is still in a sling, but he's managing, mostly because his Murkrow is generous enough to carry the shopping bag for him. And what's better after shopping in cold than a cup of hot chocolate? Nothing.

As iffy as he is about spending time and money (but mostly money) in cafés, with all the income he's getting from his delivery business (bless you, Christmas season!), Crow figures he might as well do that once in a while. For better or worse, he's picked this particular place, unaware of what -- or who -- to expect.

Settled comfortably at one of the tables, he raises his hand to place an order, although his sight is still focused on the shopping list in front of him.]

Waitress! I'll have some hot chocolate, please.

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[SHE GATHERED, and is happy about that. She missed you two.]

[It's hard not to miss that bright orange hairdo, so she grins broadly and sidles over with the hot chocolate. Once she gets up next to him and takes the opportunity to peek at the shopping list just out of sheer nosiness, she speaks up, faking a small-town accent and an overly-earnest, high-pitched voice.]</sub>

Gosh, mister, will that be all?

[video] lol pretend i'm not stupid

[stolemyfries.livejournal.com]

Pretty sweet gig you got there.

[video] HAHA IT'S OKAY I'VE DONE THAT

[foolishwren]

Yeah, it actually IS.

These old people tip awesomely.

_{[Better than at any waitress-y job she's had BEFORE, anyway.]}

[video]

[tapestodiane]

_{[Oh, man. He actually has to smile at this, even if it's a sort of wary raised-eyebrow smile that goes with a sort of dry skepticism.]}

I don't think coffee is widely regarded as a weapon, but you sure make it sound like one.

[video]

[foolishwren]

Hey, Coop, you of all people should know that anything is a weapon if you're resourceful and have the power of imagination.

[action]

[boldandresolute.livejournal.com]

[You bet your ass that big brother Liquid is going to come to make your waitressing hell.]

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Uh oh. Dammit Liquid.]

[Heather doesn't notice him right when he comes in-- she's looking down at the little notepad she jots down all the orders on.]

[Unsuspecting of the trolling that is sure to come.]</sub>

[Video]

[dragonspeak]

Someone actually let you near the coffee maker? [Okay, no. He's just teasing.]

Congratulations on getting a job--oh, and nice dress.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

Man, why does everybody keep commenting on the dress? _{[... Because you're you, and the dress is a DRESS? MAYBE?]}

But anyway, YES, to answer your question. C'mon, man, what do I look like-- a coffee criminal?

[video]

[ripped]

Guess this means the world is back in balance.

[ Nero loses his job, Heather gains one. Magic? Karma? Who knows. ]

[video]

[foolishwren]

Oh yeah, I saw that.

Heh.

How's joblessness working out for you?

[video]

[thinkimsuperman.livejournal.com]

[Douglas is proud of her for having a job and everything but that doesn't mean he's not going to tease her. He's grinning]

Is that a dress, kiddo?

[video]

[foolishwren]

Hey.

_{[She points a warning finger at the screen.]}

Don't say a word.