85. [Accidental Video]

[foolishwren]

_{[The shaggy, retreating backside of a panting Growlithe trotting through the snow and a view of worn, upside-down brown boots tromping along hurriedly after him is the first thing to greet the screen. Accompanying the hurried crunch-squeak of footsteps through good fresh snow is Heather's aggravated voice.]}

COOJ!

Cujo!

Come on, it's COLD! Don't pull this. I will skin y-- COOJ!

<sub>[The 'Gear probably bumped against her leg or something and came on by accident-- cue SHAKYCAM dog chase! Up ahead, Cujo stops briefly and whirls gleefully in the snow to face his trainer. Instantly the cause of his flight is seen-- he's got one of her gloves in his mouth and clearly decided that now would be a great time to play Keepaway. He pauses briefly with his rump in the air and tail wagging slowly-- only to turn tail and go gallumphing off through the snow again as soon as Heather (and the camera) get close enough to try and make a grab.]

[Heather curses viciously under her breath and the chase begins again, complete with hollered threats.]

[... But eventually the angry yells of 'I AM GOING TO TURN YOU INTO A TIGER-SKIN RUG AND THEN HENRY WILL SLEEP ON YOU' trail off and are replaced by a brief, uncertain silence, followed by an alarmed-sounding tone.]</sub>

Wh-- Cooj-- ... No.

_{[The motion had stopped briefly, but it quickly picks up again as Heather breaks into a sprint.]}

Nononononononono COOJ! Don't!

<sub>[In the midst of all the shakiness, the 'Gear shifts just long enough to show what Heather is apparently so upset about-- and that is Cujo's creamy tail far ahead disappearing into a building-- a hulking, charred, broken building. The Burned Tower. Or what was left of it, anyway...]

[Out of breath, Heather pauses when she reaches the slight plateau the tower's foundations sit on, briefly wheeling to look back down the hill at the town below, then back at the dark entrance. Waffling between going in or just yelling for Cujo at the doorway.]</sub>

... God dammit... COOJ!

_{[She steps through the doorway and into the dark interior of the building. Now that the camera's not shaking all over the place, she's holding it up for the sake of illumination, turning slowly in place to take in the charred walls around her. There's shafts of light cutting through the broken areas up top, and snowflakes drift down in the breeze like ashes.]}

... God this place is creepy... My kingdom for a flashlight... Cuuuujoooo... c'mon, boy, where are you?

_{[The wood creaks underfoot as she steps forward. The place has that eerie silence that only ruined places have, and is it sorta freaking Heather out? You bet. Her voice takes on a singsong tone to distract herself from the smell of the burnt wood.]}

Cuuujoooooo... if you come out, I'll give you all my leftover beef jerrrkyyyy...

... Or one of Henry's shoooooes?

... C'mon, mutt, I can HEAR you panting somewhere over there, just c'mon ou--


<sub>[... And then there is an ominous groan immediately followed by an EXPLOSIVE crackling of wood and a startled holler. The visual is immediately replaced by darkness, and a THUD signals an abrupt meeting with the ground.]

[Accompanied by the pitter-patter of falling splinters and dusty, Heather sits up, coughing and holding up the 'Gear again.]</sub>

UGH... hell...

_{[A bright hole above her (which she apparently just CREATED) swivels into view as she aims the 'Gear upwards. A familiar orange canine head pops into view over the edge of the hole still with the stolen glove in his mouth.]}


... I am SO not getting you anything for Christmas.


_{[There's a hollow thumping noise as his tail whacks against the floor above and Cujo promptly drops the glove down the hole. It hits the screen and bounces off, hitting the floor. Heather reaches out and picks it up, giving it a shake.]}

Great. Thanks. That is super helpful. Really.

You're like Lassie.

What would I do without you-- oh crap.

_{[In the classic tradition of shaky-cam horror movies everywhere, there was a noise somewhere off-camera (a low, crackling rumble of sorts) and immediately the view whipped around-- showing a brief flash of something off in the darkness coming around a corner. Something lizardlike and fiery. Then the feed cuts.]}




[ooc: Video responses will take place an hour or so after the feed, from a slightly singed-looking Heather.]

Comments

[Video]

[harryusedworry.livejournal.com]

[Been trying to contact you since that happened.]

Cheryl!

[Video]

[foolishwren]

_{[Don't worry too much, Harry-- she looks relatively unharmed when she pops up on the screen again awhile later-- apart from being a little... uh, singed-looking.]}

I'm okay!

Sorry-- I'm okay! I didn't realize that thing was on.

[Video]

[harryusedworry.livejournal.com]

What happened?

[Video]

[vengefulyears]

[Oh. Well. That didn't look too good. Clive can't really ignore something like this.]

Miss, are you all right?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[When she replies? She is COVERED IN ASH.]

[She wipes some of it off distractedly as she replies.]</sub>

Yeah, I'm f-- ...

.... Luke?

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

[Guess who noticed Heather's uneasiness at wandering through the tower? Envy was thinking about saying something up until she falls, and then...well damn, attacking wild Pokemon never mean anything good when Envy sees them going after people. Don't get eaten by Magmars please.]

Heather?

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[When she replies, she's covered in ash and charcoal, and distractedly scrubbing it off of her face as she tromps back to the hotel through the snow.]}

Yo.

_{[SHE WAS THANKFULLY NOT EATEN BY MAGMARS.]}

[video]

[tapestodiane]

<sub>[Well. Okay, first off, Coop is not normally that much of a worrier, but in light of recent events he can't help but be slightly unsettled when he watches her 1) go into a dark building by herself (a building that plays on her fire thing, no less), 2) fall into an even darker place, and 3) get approached by something in the darkness.]

[Not that he honestly thinks that it's an otherdimensional rapist/serial killer, because even if shaky what can be seen at the end of that feed certainly doesn't look like BOB.]

[But it's kind of the principle of the thing - he does feel like he needs to keep an eye on her.]

[So he's a little worried when he turns on the feed. (and he remains a little anxious for the hour it takes her to answer because guess who has been pretty damn anxious altogether lately anyway?)]</sub>

Heather? Are you okay?

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[In what's probably a pretty big relief, the Heather that pops up awhile later looks mostly unharmed. Just.... dirty. ... And a little singed. ... And grumpy.]}

Yeah, yeah, I'm fine... no thanks to WONDER DOG, here.

_{[Cujo's happy doggy-grinning face can be seen at the bottom of the screen, leaning adoringly against her side.]}

I fucking hate burned-out buildings.

[show_my_cannons]

[Heather, have you ever heard Ironhide yell?]

[Because, you're about to. Whenever you get the message.]

Heather!

Where are you!

[Video] FINALLY GETTING TO THESE OMG I'M SORRY

[foolishwren]

<sub>[... oh jesus. She vaguely remembers hearing him yell in the nightmare, which was actually MORE terrifying, but GAH. She was already a little freaked! After jumping involuntarily, she fumbles the 'Gear out and, after nearly dropping it a couple of times, flips it open.]

[She looks... singed.]</sub>

HEY! I'm here! I'm-- yeah! Here. Hi. Uh. Sorry!

I uh. Yeah.

Not dead!

.... I think!

[meatysoviet.livejournal.com]

[How is one person this amusing? It might have something to do with the fact that pain is usually involved, or shock at any rate. Both of those things are pretty amusing usually.]

Place looks fragile. Should watch steps more closely.

Where is that anyway? Reminds me of Novgorod- tower does anyway..

sob sorry this is so late

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Because everybody loves schadenfreude, man! Heather's whole LIFE is pretty much schadenfreude.]

[Needless to say, she shoots a venomous glare at the screen.]</sub>

I was watching my step.

_{[Her voice is a little more pissed-off-sounding than really necessary.]}

And who cares. It's a burned wreck on top of a hill.

_{[She also doesn't wanna tell him where she is. For some reason.]}

[shiromadoushi]

[Video]

Heather? Are you okay?

[foolishwren]

Yeah... little BRUISED, but okay.

_{[She groans and brushes some ash out of her hair as she walks, grumpily.]}

Guess whos's back~

[simple-toon.livejournal.com]

HeatherheatherheatherheatherHeatherheatherheatherheatherHeatherheatherheatherheatherHeatherheatherheatherheatherHeatherheatherheatherheather!!!!

Hey you! <3

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Because of course exactly what you need after practically falling on a Magmar is a small child squealing your name over and over.]

[Heather winces but lifts the 'Gear.]</sub>

Heeeey, sport.

video

[youfartknocker.livejournal.com]

Uh- hey, baby. Uh, huh huh huh. Need a big, strong man to help you?

Uh, huh huh huh.

video

[foolishwren]

_{[... What the hell? Ew.]}

Actually, what I wound up needing was a ROPE.

Th'fuck are you?

[video]

[usedsuperpower.livejournal.com]

<sub>[He's actually just staring at the screen, tilting his head around and blinking, looking like a curious cat or possibly a bird.]

[What was that thing just there?]</sub>

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[That was one very grumpy fire Pokemon.]

[And Heather's got a Pokeball clutched in one hand when she looks down at the screen.]</sub>

What're you lookin' at?

[video]

[ripped]

[ Well, shit. On the one hand, he has no doubt that she'll be fine--she has her dog with her, in any case. On the other, he doesn't know what that thing is just yet. Still, he tries not to be too worried. ]

Heather...?

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[PREPARE TO SPEAK WITH GRUMPY SLIGHTLY-BURNT HEATHER.]}

That? Sucked.

_{[YOU ARE NOW SPEAKING WITH GRUMPY SLIGHTLY-BURNT HEATHER.]}

[video] scuse the delay also HOLY SHIT I HAVE A SUBJECT LINE?

[subvertio.livejournal.com]

[Oh he so knows that area. And what that creature could be.]

Watch out for the fire and poison types that hang out in there. They've been coming out more since I cleared the basement.

[video] SOB LESSER OF TWO EVILS AMIRITE

[foolishwren]

Yeah... I already found one...