foolishwren | 89. [Video/Action for travel group]

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89. [Video/Action for travel group]

_{[A short while after the singing wild Pokemon and egg presents had died down, a rather unfortunate discovery was made upon dialing a number she'd been meaning to dial ever since Claudia Wolf and Kaito Kuroba had disappeared from Johto.]

[Already on the road, the weather's mild enough (even with the wind picking up) that Heather decided that was pretty much a good time to pocket her Valentine's Day present and just head off for a walk. Because lord knows, she needs one.]

[It's not the first time Johto has given everyone the gift of a precious little egg, but it is the first time that Heather's found herself resenting it.]

[The video feed pops on, focused in on a tiny, pale yellow little egg hardly bigger than a chicken's, nestled in the palm of Heather's hand as dry grass goes past underfoot.]}

It would be so easy to just... crush it.

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[In the pause, he took a moment to flop down on the nearest convenient chair. Crisis averted. Nothing's in danger of getting smashed, or turning to the proverbial Dark Side.]

[He scrubs a hand over his face, and raises an eyebrow at the 'gear.]

Yeah? What is it?

Earlier you said... you wanted your life back.

_{[Normally she'd just... assume that he meant in the sense of wanting to go back to his own world. Being angry about being ripped from his life and duty. But... well, with the morbid mood she's been in lately... she's been thinking about things like this.]}

What did you mean...?

[Ironhide... goes very still. The sort of stillness a human being shouldn't be capable of. He slowly lowers the hand from his face, staring at the 'gear.]

[He couldn't have.]

[He hadn't... told anyone. Not a single person. Even Cliffjumper had guessed on his own.]

[The stretch of silence is far more telling than any words he could possibly have said. He turns his head away, setting his jaw.]

[No. This isn't about that. This isn't about him.]

[He'll soldier on. Keep on going. Just as always. It isn't important.]

... Nothing, kid.

Just... want to go home. See the others. My team... my partner... again.

[And not one word of that was a lie.]

Edited 2012-02-28 07:37 (UTC)

_{[... no. ... No, no, no, Ironhide, she doesn't believe you.]

[A lie by omission is still a lie. She'd know. She does it all the time.]

[She doesn't accuse him. But he can probably hear the quaver in her voice.]}

... Ironhide...?

[He stays silent, looking well away from the 'gear. And from her.]

[But it doesn't help. The voice is far worse than anything he could have seen.]

... Kid.

Leave it alone. Please.

[There's a strange, choked sound to his words. He's struggling.]

_{[She hasn't known Ironhide as long as she has many of her friends. Not even a full year, really. But literally from moment one, he's been true to his name. Solid. Sure. Steadfast. Even when emotional-- and she's seen him when he's touched.]

[He has never sounded like this.]

[Not once.]

[Not even for a second.]

[Somehow, listening to this is terrifying.]

[She falls silent, half in respect to his request and half because the realization is too strong to speak through.]

[After a long silence, she can't stand it anymore. Her voice is hushed.]}

I'm sorry.... I'm sorry...

[And not once since his transformation to human has he ever been close to tears. It's a foreign concept -- crying. Even if this is more or less just getting choked up.]

[He sets his jaw, his gaze fixed on some distant point, far beyond the 'gear. And then swallows, heavily. If things had happened differently... if he'd fallen as a soldier should have...]

[It's not something he ever wanted to face with her. His voice stays muted, almost strangled by the emotions he's choking down.]

Stop.

'Sorry'... it changes nothing.

[He pauses.]

Just... Just need to keep on going. Like always.

_{[What do you say?]

[What do you say to something like this?]

[Even on the best of days, Heather's never been too great at giving comfort, if there's even any comfort to be GIVEN here, which she strongly suspects there isn't. And he just got done pulling her up out of a pit and there she went, putting him into one. Unwittingly.]}

... Ironhide, I...

_{[What? She's not even sure where she's going with that. It felt wrong to stay silent, though.]}

[He's not even sure he could accept comfort, if it were offered. Ultimately, it doesn't change anything -- it doesn't stop Sentinel. Doesn't let him go home to the others.]

[To his friends. His leader.]

[When he looks back to the 'gear, he's pulled himself into some semblance of composure. He'd be a hypocrite if he didn't try, at least.]

Forget it.

[Please.]

Just... think of what I said.

_{[She knows better than to keep pushing the subject, although there's still a sort of LOST note in her voice. The irony of telling her always to have allies and that he'll be there and then turning out to be DEAD probably doesn't even need to be mentioned. So she's not going to. She wouldn't want to even if it was a GOOD idea.]}

... I... I will, but...

[It really doesn't. He doesn't want to think on it any more than she does. What happened to him shouldn't invalidate what he told her. He doesn't think so, anyway.]

But ...?

... Nothing.

I...

... It's nothing.

Hmn.

[He falls silent for a while.]

... Going to be all right?

... I always am.

Eventually.

_{[Then it's her turn to pause.]}

... Are you?

Good.

[He actually has to think that one over. He's known for months know. He's continued on, regardless.]

Yeah. Be just fine.

[In a year or so.]

... Okay...

_{[She's not going to argue with him on that. If he says he's fine...]}

... Ironhide, you're a really good friend. I don't know if I've ever actually just literally said that before. But you are.

[He blinks at her. That's not something he's expecting to hear. Not from her.]

Uh.

All right. [AWKWARDLY:] You... not a bad kid. Either.

_{[It's not something she'd normally SAY, either.]

[But her friends are all leaving and you just revealed that you're DEAD s-so just let her have her sappy moment okay?]}

I mean it.

Just-- ... in case, okay?

... I will be here, kid.

[Because he has nowhere else to go.]

... All right.

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89. [Video/Action for travel group]

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[Video] GNGHlkjglg I think that's a wrap but-- THIS THREAD. ;-; Why can't I hold all these feelings