foolishwren | 97. [Action for Goldenrod/Private Text]

97. [Action for Goldenrod/Private Text]

[Locked to Ironhide, Minnie Mouse, Otacon, and Dale Cooper]

I don't know if it'll fix anything at this point, because I said some pretty horrendous things to all of you, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry.

I'll understand if you're still mad. None of you need to reply to this.

[Action for Goldenrod]

_{[It's probably not surprising that there's been radio silence from Heather on the 'Gear for awhile, considering... well, everything. Even if she hadn't had her 'Gear confiscated as part of the 'grounding', she hadn't exactly been in a chatty mood.]

[But even if she's bound to the city, she's not bound to the hotel room, and considering that she's sort of in the doghouse at the moment, she's not too interested in staying cooped up with the people who are rightfully upset with her.]

[So she can be found wandering the streets of Goldenrod City with Cujo padding along at her side, window-shopping or occasionally lounging on a bench-- minus the firepowers that blew the metaphorical Diglett-hole into a volcanic mountain a few weeks ago, but unfortunately still with the unattractive aftereffects of the whole ordeal: smoky black hair, patches of scorched-looking skin, and a permanent burnt-toast smell following her around.]}

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_{[She looks up at that, surprised and a little disarmed by the observation. She's almost ready to open her mouth and deny it (it's a... habit she's fallen into lately, for obvious reasons), but ... well, he's right. He's very right.]

[So instead she rubs her head, a rueful frown crossing her face.]}

... Yeah. I'm.... I'm sorry, Crow.

You're right, I don't.

It's just... something I got used to and never really started doing again. ... Force of habit, you know?

_{[Biting the inside of her cheek, she sets the soda down again and scuffs one boot heel in the dust on the sidewalk.]}

Back home, Dad and I never let people get too close to us. Hell, you've probably noticed he's not exactly the biggest social butterfly around... I've been here longer than him, but...

_{[She looks back over to Crow, expression apologetic.]}

It's... not because I don't care about you, or anything.

[Apology isn't what he's after, but as he's about to mention that, the comment about Harry actually makes him chuckle a little.]

He kinda isn't!

[He's been blaming it more on the generation gap or whatever, but apparently there's more to it than that...

Crow shakes his head with a small smile. He may not know everything (or even half of it) about her, but he does know her well enough to be able to tell whether she does or does not care about someone, and despite the recent events, he's pretty sure he doesn't fall under the latter category.]

Nah, I know that's not it. And I don't blame ya, just--

[He gives her a sheepish grin.]

Guess it's never too late to learn something 'bout each other, right? 'Kay, I'll start!

[Setting his soda aside as well, Crow clears his throat and settles himself more comfortably on the bench.]

The name's Crow Hogan, twenty years old, and I come from Satellite, now part of Neo Domino City, one of the biggest cities in Japan. I'm a duelist and I run a small delivery business, Blackbird Delivery, both there and here in Johto. In my spare time -- assuming I have any, that is -- I like dueling and riding D-Wheel and visiting Martha's orphanage. Favorite food is fried rice and daifuku, but man, I can't stand sushi if they paid me for it. Favorite color's black and... uh...

[That's probably much more random trivia about himself that he's ever told anyone, especially all at once, and he seems to have run out of steam now, as he's scratching his cheek, trying to think of something else to say.]

... Dunno, guess that's 'bout it. Oh, yeah, I'm a Signer, too, but that part you know already.

[And the duelists ends his little introduction with a nod.]

_{[Well, the generation gap is a factor as well, but ... well, Harry's always been the quiet type. A lot more than his daughter.]

[But any more awkward apologizing is headed off by the fact that Crow launches into self-description, breaking the ice. At first Heather looks a little surprised, but then she settles in to listening, a slow smile quirking up the sides of her mouth.]}

... You don't like sushi? Man, not that I'm super into it, but that shit's good.

Anyway, uh...

_{[Coughing slightly and spreading her palms, she shrugs her shoulders a little bit.]}

My name's Cheryl Mason-- Heather to everyone but Dad. Born in Maine, U.S. of A. I lived in Portland 'till I was about four, then we moved to Bangor. I graduated high school a few months before I came here. Did odd jobs throughout most of that. Waitressing, kid-sitting, did part-time in an autoshop for a bit...

Uh... I guess I don't really have hobbies here, but back home, I liked reading, craft... stuff, hanging out at the mall... video games sometimes...

I like sweet stuff... cookies and ice cream and shit. Like fruits, too.

And the color orange.

Edited 2012-08-28 05:35 (UTC)

[The difference between father and daughter in that aspect is hard to miss.

The duelist makes a face at the mention of sushi, though, and wrinkles his nose a bit.]

Eh, it's raw fish with some seaweed. Big deal. And it costs way more than its worth, so-- nah, I ain't a fan.

[Then Crow goes quiet and listens to her part. His eyes widen in surprise when she states her name -- he's never expected her to say anything other than 'Heather', after all -- but he simply nods and doesn't say anything until she's finished.]

... Cheryl's a nice name. But so 's Heather.

[And with that, he beams happily at her.]

See? Much better already!

Heh, yeah, I guess it is...

_{[Noting the surprise, she laughs a little bit, plucking at the strap of her shirt absent-mindedly.]}

Yeah, I know, big difference between 'em, right? ... When I got here, I wasn't sure what the hell was going on or who was behind it, so... I just started going by the alias. After awhile it seemed too weird to start asking people to call me 'Cheryl', so...

--Seriously? Wow. Guess that makes sense...

[It's an idea Crow himself would have never come up with, but there again, he's never been the kind who would try to avoid being identified, not even when breaking the law.]

... Want me to switch over to Cheryl, then? Or should I stick to Heather?

_{[Heather's had staying hidden drilled into her head for years... although to be fair, it had been an alias assumed for hiding FROM criminals rather than hiding from the law.]

[She shakes her head a little, still smiling.]}

Nah.

Dad's the only one who's called me Cheryl for years n'years, before I ever came here. I kinda like having it that way, to be honest.

[Well, the law side tends to be more dangerous than most criminals back where Crow comes from...]

Fair enough. Heather it is, then!

[Now that the confusion is gone from his face, it's replaced by a soft smile.]

... So, I guess it's safe to say you're really back now.

_{[Very true... Heather might not have much faith in the police in her world, but at least they don't BRAND MARKS INTO TEENAGERS' FACES FOR THEIR CRIMES.]}

... Yeah, I guess I am...

... Thanks, too, for... y'know. Sayin' some stuff about yourself.

You're right, I didn't really know much about you, either.

[And they're probably not secretly an Ancient Conspiracy trying to summon a god to destroy the world as we know it and make it a better place, either, I MEAN COME ON SUCH THINGS DON'T HAPPEN HAHA.]

Well, I guess anyone would like to know more 'bout the great Crow the Bullet-sama! And you get to hear everything from no one else but myself. Lucky, eh?

[After a small pause, he picks his drink back up and shrugs a bit.]

... So if you've got any questions, you can ask, too.

_{[YEAH THOSE NEVER HAPPEN AT ALL]

[EVER]

[REALLY]

[With the corners of her mouth quirked up in mingled amusement and fondness, Heather shrugs her own shoulders, leaning back a little to look up at the sky thoughtfully.]}

Hm.

I guess I can probably come up with a few.

... You a natural carrot-top?

_{[She says this with a smirk, looking back over to him. COME ON CROW THAT SHADE OF ORANGE CANNOT BE NATURAL.]}

[SERIOUSLY

WHAT A JOKE

Clearly, Heather is about to ask some deep, existential question-- yes, just like that one. Crow gives her a playful punch of the shoulder, but the smile never leaves his face.]

Yep. One hundred percent natural.

[He turns to her with a smirk on his own.]

What, you jealous?

_{[HO HO HO.]

[She rocks to the side, grinning-- she expected a response more or less like that.]}

Maybe a little.

Anything's better than this, after all.

_{[She plucks at the scorched black hair she's been left with from the 'disease', ironically returning her back to HER natural color. Except that no amount of blond dye will be able to get rid of this for awhile.]}

Even if it does make you look like a crayon.

[Maybe that's why children like him so much.]

Dunno 'bout you, but I'd take being a crayon over a burned toast any day.

[... Which is a pretty terrible joke, all things considered, but hey, he has no way of knowing...]

_{[IT IS, BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW, she'll let it go.]}

Me too, believe me.

If you ask me, you look better as a blonde, anyway.

[But now that he thinks about other options...]

... Though maybe we can get you some better color. Blue? Green? ... Pink?

[~~Maybe he'll actually put dye in your shampoo this time~~]

Don't worry, I'm with you there. Never liked the black-cat look.

_{[Leaning back against the bench, she considers the options.]}

Hm... always did wanna try something crazy. ... Dad never let me before.

_{[His reasoning had been that it would draw too much attention to her. At the time, of course, being an attention-craving teenager, that had sounded fine to her. Now she knew why her father had tried so hard to keep her as low-profile as possible, of course...]

[But now there was no reason to stay under-cover...]}

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