91. [Video/Action for Cianwood City]

[foolishwren]

Okay-- OKAY, OKAY, hang on, I got it!

All right, get back.

<sub>[The sound of big reptilian feet plodding backwards through wet sand can be heard as the camera shows a wobbly view of.... Sunny the Togekiss standing on an appropriately sunny Cianwood beach. The water's lapping at the shore, the sky is bright blue, it's totally beautiful.]

[A PERFECT day to test out the new, hard-earned skill gotten from beating Chuck in a furious fist-fight (and some obligatory after-battle arm-wrestling): Fly.]

[Perched precariously on the back of the big white marshmallow-bird is Heather, kneeling and holding onto the thick white plumage with both hands. She's got a determined expression.]</sub>

Okay. Let's give it a try. I-- no, Dad, it's gonna be FINE, that's why I'm practicing on the BEACH, remember? Sand is soft!

OKAY.

Ready, girl?

Let's-- oh shit aw HELL--

<sub>[With some gentle but powerful WHOMPS, the Togekiss had begun to serenely flap its pillowy wings and take off. ... Without Heather, because Heather has no idea how the hell to ride a flying thing and was promptly jostled off by the wing motion.]

[Touching down again, Sunny trills and lovingly sits upon the face-down Heather like any caring bird mother might with a stupid bird baby that crash-landed after trying to fly.]</sub>

... Okay.

This could take a little practice.

Comments

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Uh oh.]

[Different from normal, the only response Barney is gonna get is a cold stare.]

[Guess who's still pissed off about that conversation around Valentine's Day?]</sub>

[usedsuitup]

Hahahaha..haha..ha...ha...


Hi Heather.

[Oh crap he is going to get it now and he knows it because he has vague memories of that conversation.]

[foolishwren]

_[Yeeeeep.]

The hell are you laughing at.

_{[Far from the high-pitched fluster that usually happens when she gets indignant at somebody, her voice is cold and flat.]}

[usedsuitup]

Laughing? Who's laughing? It's certainly not me, I'm not laughing. Why would I laugh at the misfortune of anyone? I'm not that big of a jerk.

[Miserably covering his tracks. Also spoken way to fast.]

[foolishwren]

_{[WAY too fast, and unfortunately a pretty futile effort. He'd been making no attempt to hide the laughter before, after all. And honestly, even if he had, Heather would still be angry. Because it's not the laughing she's mad at. That's just the icing on the top of the cake.]}

I'm not fucking deaf.

[usedsuitup]

Of course you're not. Why? Did I imply anything?

[foolishwren]

You imply a lot.

Like right now?

You're implying that I'm stupid.

Either cut the crap or don't talk to me.

[usedsuitup]

I would never do anything of the sort.

Look, if this is about last time. I was under some magic pokemon spell.

[foolishwren]

Really?

Because you sounded pretty much exactly like the way you sound all the time.

[usedsuitup]

Heather, I can be sympathetic, and I would have been if it hadn't been for that song.

[foolishwren]

Nobody ELSE seemed caught up in it!

[usedsuitup]

Tons of people were! Ask Larry. He was like that to!

[foolishwren]

Yeah, uh, I talked to Larry that day too, and he did a pretty good job NOT sounding like an arrogant asshole looking for-- for I don't know, an EASY HOOKUP or something!

_{[Yeah, that's an overreaction-- but, well, raging grief-induced irrationality + Barney's reputation ...]}

Larry's lost people-- he GOT that and so HE didn't act like a dickstain!

[usedsuitup]

Hey! I was trying to cheer you up, not hit on you alright! I have standards.

[Okay, yes, he will admit that some of his plays do involve taking advantage of those moments, but will swear to high heaven that he wasn't even thinking that.]

[foolishwren]

So you tried to cheer me up by talking about how awesome you were, and telling me that I'd feel better if I hung out with you.

Yeah.

That really adds up the points in your favor.

[usedsuitup]

Heather, you weren't supposed to focus on how awesome I am, which, let's face it, is pretty awesome, but on how awesome you are. You're the one who's supposed to be awesome in that scenario. And wouldn't you feel better if you hung out with friends? Isn't that supposed to help when you're feeling sad?

[foolishwren]

Okay, look, I don't know if you've EVER dealt with someone grieving before, but the LAST thing you should fucking do is smugly tell them to 'stop being sad and be awesome instead' and then say that hanging out with YOU will make them fucking happy.

I don't know what fucking planet you're from, but on MINE, if you said that to my FACE back there I'd have punched your jaw off its hinges.

[usedsuitup]

[Surprisingly, it's something he hasn't really encountered just yet, though he will. And now with serious face.]

Then for what it's worth, I'm sorry.

[foolishwren]

_{[She's not totally looking at the screen. Not even 'sorry' will make things better, or at least not entirely. The whole thing is still sort of raw, even if she's gotten over the worst of it. She shrugs, expression murky.]}

Yeah, whatever...

[usedsuitup]

I'm serious here Heather! I'm really sorry.

[Apologies are all he's got]

[foolishwren]

_{[It's true, and she knows it. So she heaves a sigh.]}

Look, I'm not ready to make nice right now.

[usedsuitup]

Alright then. Let me know when you are. The apology will stand till then.