93. [Video/Action for Cianwood Inn]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Well, THAT had been fun.]

[After over a week, lots of bad weather, a few waterlogged hugs and a whole lot of flying, Heather's finally back on Cianwood, with a nurse, a mysterious young woman, a bird-obsessionist, and a magician-thief in tow.]

[She's exhausted and wants nothing more to just faceplant on the bed and let her father play host to the new additions to the 'family' (and the one returning member) for awhile... but as usual, something's come up.]

[The feed comes on from above-- she's flopped on her back on one of the hotel room's beds, hair still curly and wet from the shower she spent at least forty-five minutes in after arriving back on the island. She'd had to use an unoccupied hotel room (with Arty guarding the door to make sure no unsuspecting guest walked in on her) to do it on account of the fact that she'd been accompanied by four equally tired and dirty people who ALSO needed showers.]

[She picks tiredly at one eye, the camera wobbling above her on account of being held up with just one hand.]</sub>

Sooo.

Yeah, I uh... was totally planning on visiting some people on the way home, but... yeah.

All that weather sort of sucked all the sociability out of everybody. Sorry, Cliff. Wish I'd made it.

_{[YEAH, she's spoiling the surprise, but hey, she can always drop in on him and Ironhide later, assuming no giant storms pop right the fuck out of nowhere like last week. Ugh.]}

But anyway, back safe and sound, nobody died, the world's still turning, chocolate and peanut butter are still an awesome combination, life goes on. Hope nobody got too battered during all that crazy apocalyptic weather.

<sub>[And around this point is where she'd usually turn the camera off (and maybe she intended to but is just so damn tired it slipped her mind) but the screen blurs as she rolls over, propping herself up on her elbows and resting the 'Gear against the bedspread next to her instead. Next to it are two things--]



[--a battered old medallion with red marks inscribed on it... and a piece of paper. The camera's gaze only lingers on it for a second or two, but quick readers might be able to make out the words Make her suffer written in loopy handwriting before the 'Gear moves again.]

[This time, it's aimed crookedly at the side of the bed, where the somber, doberman-like face of a Houndoom is watching the off-camera Heather in silence.]</sub>


....


Gonna have to come up with a different name for you.


_{[End feed.]}



[AUDIO // LOCKED TO COOPER]

_{[Later that night:]}

Hey, Coop.

You got a minute?

Comments

[action] HI NEW PEOPLE

[no_ufo_ending]

<sub>[Henry waited in the lobby, both excited because yay fellow survivors...but nervous because OH GOD PEOPLE. PEOPLE THAT WILL BE WITH THEM A LOT. He was squeezing the moody purple cat pokemon that had hopped up onto his lap.]

[He also looked just a little miserable. All the weather had left him with a nasty cold.]</sub>

[action] Feel free to reply to this thread yourselves when you get the chance, guys!

[foolishwren]

_{[Once she's not lying there in a coma, she migrates downstairs. Now that she's actually CLEAN and not wearing the same clothes she'd had on for like A WEEK, she's a lot more lively than she was when she first stumbled in. Still tired, though.]}

Hey, bub.

_{[Planting a hand on Henry's hair since he's sitting and therefore short enough for her to reach without any effort.]}

Congrats on not drowning.

[action] HI.

[bluedespitebeing]

[Oh, it's the odd one.

Lisa's hair is still wet, and she's looking relatively sleepless, but she smiles at Henry all the same.]

Hello... Henry, right?

[action] HIIII

[burntforhersins]

[Even if she knows him (somewhat), even if she's spoken to him over the video, that's no reason to approach him. She's tired and somehow even more listless in person, her arms tensed as if she's expecting an attack. She was careful to leave her new babies in their balls, tucked up warm inside her bag. Just in case.

Her own hair has been repeatedly dried and dried over and over again, as has her body, to make sure not even a sign of the shower remained to let people know what she'd been doing. Men would latch onto anything to fantasize about.

So she stayed a foot or so away from Henry, her head cocked slightly in a calculating manner. He seemed harmless, but they were all alike. Weren't they?]

Are you unhappy that we're here?

[video]

[vulpesvivus]

Hey, I'm sure most of us have survived worse.

[video]

[foolishwren]

Yeah, I know we have.

Still sucks, though.

[audio]

[tapestodiane]

Several, if you need them.

What's on your mind?

_{[He answers with his usual briskness in tone, but with a warmth he now normally has for her. And a touch of concern, perhaps, when he asks her why she's calling. While they make sure not to be strangers, they're still not in touch frequently, after all.]}

[audio]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It's later that evening when she calls-- she's got the room to herself while everyone else who normally shares the room with her is out for dinner. She'd made some excuse about wanting to sleep more, which wasn't ENTIRELY false, but there had been a hidden motive.]

[Leaning over to flick the bedside lamp on to dispel the creeping gloom, she lets the 'Gear rest between her ear and shoulder.]</sub>

Well... a bit, actually.

You know, now that we're out of the stormy weather and I actually have TIME for things to be on my mind...

[Action]

[haveyouseenalittlegirl]

[The first thing Harry does is go over to check on Heather and make sure she's alright. Give her a hug. Then he'll play host to the new members of the group.]

[Action]

[foolishwren]

_{[She doesn't bother getting up from the bed, but she does wrap an arm around him in a halfassed sleepy teenager hug.]}

Glad you guys didn't drown.

[Action]

[bluedespitebeing]

[Out of all the Silent Hill survivors, Harry is definitely the one she's been most anxious about seeing. Heather had been a close second, what with wearing a healthy, older Alessa face, but even that had become somewhat normal, over their conversations. Not to mention that time spent traveling together and looking like they had been dragged through the sewers.

No, seeing an aged Harry in person... Lisa was nervous, on top of looking forward to it.

Which is why instead of approaching him, the nurse will just

kind of

hover nearby until he notices her. ;;]

[Voice]

[show_my_cannons]

You were going to see Cliffjumper?

[Then he pauses. And lowers his voice. It's not a private message, but hey. At least he's not shouting it into the 'gear.]

... Everything all right, kid?

[Voice]

[foolishwren]

Yeah, I was... I was gonna drop in on you guys. It was s'pposed to be a surprise, but then crazy weather happened...

_{[There's a rustle as she drags a hand down her face. Uhghggghh there's nothing quite like the exhaustion that comes from travel.]}

And... yeah.

It's fine.

Just...

_{[She pauses for a moment. ... Ironhide might as well know. After all, he'd been one of the ones she'd warned.]}

Vincent went home.

... You know, that guy I told you about. The creep.

... I know it probably seems like I should be happy about that, but it's a little complicated.

That's all.

[action]

[darkenedgales]

[THAT HAD BEEN FUN INDEED.

But now that it's finally over with, Crow has also decided to take a long-awaited shower; having done that and changed into his spare clothes which look almost the same as his usual outfit anyway but whatever, albeit still fighting to dry his wet hair with a towel while his headband hangs freely on his neck, the duelist happens to be passing by the door of Heather's room on his way back. The only logical conclusion is, of course, to drop in and say hi -- he knocks on the door first, and then immediately lets himself in, since a) he can't hear the water running, b) he's pretty sure he can hear her talking, and c) worst case scenario is he'll get a boot to the head for doing that, big deal.]

Why the hell would anyone combine chocolate and peanut butter, anyway?

[... Says the guy whose nation puts red bean paste into literally everything, including but not limited to green tea cakes and strawberry cookies.

Not waiting for an answer, he looks around the room and pauses at the sight of the dog there, raising his eyebrow a bit.]

... Didn't know you had one of these.

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[She rolls her head to the side so that she can just give him a look. She's fine with him coming in, but--]}

Dude, you have no taste.

Chocolate and peanut butter are awesome.

_{[Then she lets her head flop back down to the mattress, looking back at the Houndoom, which had looked over at Crow, wiry tail sweeping across the floor once or twice in greeting.]}

I didn't... till we got back.

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

Good to hear you didn't drown.

...interesting medal you've got, though.

[That medallion already stood out, but he'd also gotten a glimpse of the paper too, and the word 'suffer' on it. Which is frankly making him curious as hell.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

Yeah, I made sure to stay inland enough to avoid most of that shit. I got my fill of flooding the summer before last, thanks.

_{[But when he brings up the medallion, she reaches out and picks it up with a soft scrape of its battered, rusty surface on the fabric of the bedspread, lifting it up to her eyes.]}

Yeah... it's just an old piece of junk...

Looks like it should be more though, doesn't it?

_{[She wishes it WEREN'T. But she can't very well let it go. It's from home... even if it had wound up useless.]}

{Video}

[bamfsecretary]

Peanut butter and chocolate.... Sounds like something Yachiru would like.

{Video}

[foolishwren]

Man, why are so many people weirded out by that?

It's only the best flavor combination since someone thought to put it with jelly.

Anyway, who's Yachiru?

[Video]

[usedcharm]

The weather got really bad there for a while, glad you're okay! I'm still a little surprised I made it to Goldenrod in one piece honestly. Hope I never have to do that one again.

[She'd been on foot too so that last day or so of travel had been beyond trying all things considered.]

That's not normal weather for this place, is it?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

I'm thankful to answer a super-vehement NO.

I mean, we get bad weather sometimes, but that sort of takes the cake.

[ video ]

[getthehorns]

It's fine, kiddo. Not like we're going anywhere any time soon.

[ video ]

[foolishwren]

I know, I just-- I really wanted to get around to visiting people, y'know?

Stupid weather...

[action]

[bluedespitebeing]

[THANK GOD, BEING IN AN INN AGAIN... It's after much cleaning and sleeping that Lisa seeks out the other blonde again.]

Hey...Heather.

[Yep, not used to calling her that. And still not used to making conversation with this girl, either. She opts for one of her old standby's, though in those days it had been a flagrant lie.]

You're looking better. All rested up.

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[Twisting a little to look over her shoulder (and away from the Houndoom), Heather grins at Lisa tiredly and then rolls back over onto her back. She doesn't really have the energy to do much else.]}

Heeeeeey.

Yeahhh... more than I was a few hours ago, anyway.

How 'bout you.

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

[Replying via video would've been the easier option, but frankly, ever since returning Kaito was finding speaking in person to be much more satisfying.

Which is why, sometime after her post, Heather might be hearing another knocking noise at her door. Accompanied by:]

You know what's a better combination than chocolate and peanut butter?

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[PSH who needs video when you can see the person... well, in person?]

[Not bothering to stifle a grin, she leans up on one elbow and calls out--]</sub>

24-hour room service and smokin' hot bellboys?

_{[aka 'The door's open and be prepared to hear 'awww, no smokin' hot bellboys after all' when you come in']}