foolishwren | 96. [Accidental Video/Action for Ecruteak] BACKDATED TO THE 22ND

_{[Chaotic and occasionally-accidental videos have become a relatively frequent occurrence during the outbreak, and this video is really no different in that aspect.]

[The feed comes to life in a chaotic jumble that makes it clear that the 'Gear was bumped or jostled into turning on-- no amateur-but-deliberate filming of Pokemon attacking action figures this time around. It does, however, come to a brief halt as the carrier pauses.]}

_{[Sunny the Togekiss peers sorrowfully down from the outdoor-rafters she's perched on, apparently refusing to come down.]}

-ny!

SUNNY!

Get the HELL down-- oh my god, you know what?

Forget it.

FORGET IT.

Forget it.

Fucking BIRD.

_{[The screen whirls and and all image coherency disappears in a swirl of bouncing sky and trees. The WHACK WHACK WHACK of the mic hitting the other contents of Heather's bag as it swings at her side destroy most of the audibility too, but snippets of voices come through-- Heather's and someone else's. People who are familiar with her and the people she travels with will recognize it as her father Harry Mason.]}

Heath--r please be reason-- just stop for a moment and think ab-- you don't need to d-- let it g--

No. NO. She--

I don't CARE if she's not g-- to-- I'm going--- do what I should have done in t-- --ace!

--L MASON--

_{[The thumping stops as Heather apparently stops and spins on her heel. As she does so, the camera's view once again settles, offering an off-kilter perspective view of her from roughly waist-level. She's been staying away from the network as much as possible as the effects of the strange outbreak started to hit her hard, and now it's fairly evident why: dark, scorched-looking splotches have spread across every inch of skin like burns-- and where they crack, bright, veinlike lines like something molten spread. Her hair is smoky and black.]}

I am NOT losing you again, Dad!

_{[And then, after that raspy, croaky scream, she whirls again and keeps going. The feed times out at some point, after a lot of jumbled sounds as other voices join the apparent debate.]}

[OOC: Cooooonteeeeeext. Replies over the 'Gear will likely be ICly delayed and/or limited.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Not getting rid of him that easy. Following after her.]

Cheryl Mason, I told you to stop.

You need to calm down.

_{[How many times have conversations like this played out between them? Back home, it was usually over some stupid thing Heather did to get herself in trouble at school, or over some thing Harry had decided to put his foot down about, and she was usually stomping out the door or towards her room.]

[Needless to say... this time was a little different.]

[Still, she whirls around, as usual, rage etched across every inch of her face.]}

NO, I don't.

I've BEEN calm.

I've BEEN calm and I SHOULDN'T have. I'm gonna end this stupid, STUPID thing.

[Just a little. Harry stops walking as she turns to glare at him. His own face is less emotional then hers, pushing back anything he might be feeling at the moment so he can try to get through to her.]

I'm right here. You're not going to lose me. You don't need to do this Cheryl.

Yes, I DO.

I've needed to do this for three years.

I should have done it the FIRST time she showed her face here.

Why now?

What did she say to you Cheryl?

NOTHING that should've come as a surprise.

_{[She'd started to walk again.]}

It's time for this shit to END.

She'll never change, she'll never learn, she'll never fucking be able to make up for what she did!

No she won't.

[Still following her.]

But doing this won't make it better.

No, but it'll stop it from getting WORSE.

No, this will make it worse.

HOW?!

HOW will it make it worse?

It won't-

[It takes him a moment because it's not like he's oblivious to just HOW much this woman has done to hurt them. He sighs.]

Cheryl. Maybe it won't make it worse....but it won't make it better either. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Dad, nothing will make it right. Nothing will EVER make it right. You know why? Because everything Silent Hill touches is RUINED.

Back home, you are GONE.

EVERYONE is GONE!

I don't care about right or wrong anymore! Not when it comes to this!

I'm going.

And you're not coming.

_{[She wouldn't lose him again. Not like this.]

[And she didn't want him to be there watching when she did what she was planning.]}

Don't do this Cheryl.

[But it's becoming more and more clear that he can't stop her.]

_{[At that, she does pause at last, looking over her shoulder at him with a look of regret. But it wasn't a look of submission.]}

... I'm sorry, Dad.

But I have to.

_{[And then she was off again.]}