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.]}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah. Allergies. Heard those are rough.

[He's going to go along with it, regardless. There's no reason to poke and prod at it.]

[He even... tries to say the next part gently. It's not easy, because this isn't an easy subject, and this is Ironhide we're talking about. But he tries.]

...

Your father.

Right.

_{[She takes a deep breath, setting the 'Gear in her lap briefly so that she can drag her hands down her face.]}

Right.

So...

... Basically what... what happened was ever since Dad rescued me, they... one person had been looking for me. To finish what... what my-- ... what she'd been using me for.

[He goes quiet, attempting to put the pieces together, for her sake. That way, she won't have to speak as much, right?]

...

And they found you, then?

She found me.

_{[Heather you're not talking about your mother anymore you need to actually mention who THIS 'she' is.]}

Who is 'she'?

Claudia.

... My friend.

...

The one you were going to take care of.

Yeah.

... The one I didn't. The one I FORGOT the moment I'd gotten out.

The whole time I was obliviously growing up miles away in a good home with a good dad, she was...

Kid, if you forgot... for the reasons you forgot... then you cannot blame yourself.

Not right to.

I know!

I know.

I... I don't. Not... not like that. I just...

There was nothing I could do.

While I was-- before Dad ever even-- I was locked up and-- and incapacitated and the whole fucking time SHE was going after her, filling her head with POISON and just--

She was so little, she didn't even stand a fucking CHANCE and because I never TOLD her before it was too late, that monster just-- had her way with her and I COULDN'T DO A GODDAMN THING!

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS HAPPENING!

_{[... Well, so much for that calm, detached tone. Once she hit this subject, it didn't take long for her voice to escalate to a thin roar.]}

Kid.

Breathe.

[He's not going to tell her to calm down. That never solves anything. He doesn't... know what else he can do, what else he can say. Sure, he could just listen, but sitting on the other end of the 'gear, listening while someone he wants nothing more than to protect is shrieking...]

[It's not a good feeling.]

You did not know. You were unable to assist. I know that feeling. And it...

[If he'd known what awaited Optimus -- what would happen to Jolt, to the new recruits. If he had been there...]

You cannot allow it to fester.

Going to tear you apart, kid.

_{[At his command, the volume dropped at least, but breathe she did not. There was a dull thunk, as though she'd let her head rest roughly against the wall.]}

I know, I know, I know I know I know I just--!

I know it wasn't my fault.

I know.

There was no way I could have done anything. I know that. I don't BLAME myself, I just...

_{[There's a pause as she sucks in a ragged breath and an unmistakable pop of knuckles as she clenches a fist.]}

... Years later, when I thought-- I thought I'd made a clean getaway, this... this person who I used to care about shows up, and-- and takes away the only reason I was even ALIVE-- _{[That she had CHOSEN to live...]} And all because of HER, the bitch who hurt me-- the bitch who hurt us BOTH because we were so fucking small we couldn't STOP her-- didn't know to stop her.

That's what I meant when I said you couldn't understand, Ironhide.

You don't-- you can't know what it's like, to be so tiny that someone can do whatever they want to you and you can't do a thing. Because you're seven years old and three and a half feet tall and you don't know anything else so you just LET it happen, you LET them do things to you because you're so scared and so powerless and so SMALL and they're bigger and smarter and you're at their absolute MERCY and all you WANT is to make them HAPPY so that they'll stop--!

[And, once more, he doesn't know what to say about that.]

Kid, I...

[He just stops. Just stops. Is there anything you can say when someone unloads all this on you?]

[He's used to the atrocities of war. The atrocities of domesticity, of civilians... those have him at a loss.]

Sorry.

Don't.

You don't... you don't have anything to apologize for.

_{[She had paused to take in a deep, shuddering breath in some attempt to calm herself (like he'd told her to like three minutes ago) and it worked... somewhat. When she speaks again it's in that dull, monotonous tone from before. A mask for the upset rather than a sign that she's totally calm again, but it's better than all the shouting she was doing before.]}

... I just...

... The fact that even... after I'd gotten away and grown up, even after she'd been dead for years, she still found a way to reach out and hurt me.

Hurt me worse than she ever did back when I was just a scared little kid.

... Like it never stops.

_{[Another pause for breath, along with the fleshy sound of hands being dragged down a face and an audible sniff.]}

... That's why I was so mad. And I didn't... I didn't think about what I was saying to everybody, and I didn't mean t'make you think I was... I dunno. Implying that you were stupid or didn't understand loss or ... or any of that.

I just...

... It can stop. You are not alone here, and no one is expecting you to deal with this on your own.

I doubt anyone wants you to.

We are here. We do not want to see this take you down...

[He pauses. Breathes.]</small. Not sure what else there is to offer you.

I know. It's just that-- ... this, this thing... it's so intensely personal, I don't want...

... It doesn't feel like something that ... that people on the outside can help with. ... Not me, or her.

_{[A sudden, explosive (but muffled) sigh. It seems her head's been in her hands more often than not during this conversation.]}

You don't need to offer me anything, Ironhide.

_{[A pause... and then, with the barest hint of a laugh--]}

... Except... maybe forgiveness, if you want...

[He's quiet again.]

[How does anyone even begin to try and deal with things like this? Is there a way? Is he supposed to try? All Spark.]

[Why isn't there a guidebook or something on this.]

Yeah.

Sure thing, kid.

_{[It's okay, Ironhide. Heather's pretty sure no one knows how to deal with things like this.]}

Thanks.

... I dunno if you know this, but you're scary as hell when you're mad.

_{[It's said shakily, but with good humor-- an attempt to lighten the mood, if it can be lightened at all after that dark stormcloud of a conversation topic.]}

[He'd like it better if he knew.]

... Yeah, heard that one before.

[He pauses -- hey, if they're sharing Big Important Things...]

From someone you remind me of.

That doesn't surprise me.

_{[But she's curious-- that's an oddly sentimental thing for Ironhide to say.]}

Who's that?

[This whole business has been oddly sentimental.]

[He huffs, though, grumbling to himself, before he actually says anything more.]

... My charge.

Foolish kid they handed to me. Said to make something of him. So I did.

... You never mentioned him before.

_{[It's not accusatory-- or even surprised. It's an unspoken prompt to continue more than anything else.]}

You ever know me to be the kind to discuss personal things, kid?

[... Which means she's going to have to ask, specifically, if she wants to know.]

_{[OKAY THEN SHE WILL.]}

I guess not.

... So who was he?

... Name is Sideswipe. If he were human... probably just be a little older than you.

Put into training fresh off the assembly line. Caused a lot of trouble, so ... they handed him off to me.

[A rustling sound. A shrug.]

Good kid... obnoxious. Stubborn. Proud. Determined to look after himself... and angry at the world.

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[voice] sorry oh my god she is basically unloading completely

[voice] ... baby ;o; dfsdkj I'M SORRY THIS IS SHORT HE'S JUST. AWK.

[voice] IT'S OKAY HONESTLY I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL TO SAY TO HER EITHER

[voice] He's so out of his element /face in hands

[voice] IT'S OKAY IRONHIDE YOU'RE DOIN FINE

[voice] ;o; Okay

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