99. [Text/Action for travel group]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[SO YEAH, UH. IT'S BEEN. A FEW DAYS. SINCE... YOU KNOW.]

[Since the whole thing on the weekend that they all remember now.]

[In those few days, Heather has been holed up in her hotel room like a dysfunctional pop star hiding from the paparazzi. What's she been doing in there? GOD ONLY KNOWS. Actually, the people IN that hotel room know and it's mostly being quiet and sleeping a lot, but there you go.]

[BUT LO AND BEHOLD: a text!]

[A text with a request.]</sub>


SUP PEOPLE

I have a mission for all of you


send me funny shit

any funny shit

I don't care if it's a joke or a story about the time your drunk uncle bill mistook your annoying aunt sally's drink for a spitoon or a video of that fat Meowrth that likes to get in boxes i forget his name it's like Maroo or something

1 2 3 GO

Comments

text;

[foolishwren]

well as it so happens I HAVE a lot of boxes

text;

[show_my_cannons]

With you? At all times?

text; --> video

[foolishwren]

<sub>[The response is virtually instantaneous.]

[The video switches on, to show... a box.]

[Ironhide, this girl was once friends with, and mentored by, Solid Snake.]

[Of course she has a box with her at all times.]

[(Multiples, though, that you can make a case for. She hasn't figured out how to carry multiple boxes around with her at all times yet. BUT MAYBE SHE WILL.)]</sub>

video

[show_my_cannons]

[Ironhide has no idea what in the hell he's looking at. Why is she showing him a box. What is that supposed to prove.]

[But...]

[The more he looks at the feed, the more--]

[--yeah, okay. He just shakes his head. And, laughs.]

video

[foolishwren]

<sub>[IT'S SUPPOSED TO PROVE THAT SHE HAS A BOX. ... And... not much else.]

[After a moment or two, though, it tilts upwards enough for Heather to peek out from underneath it, face split in a genuine crooked grin that she hasn't actually worn once since that weekend.]

[Did she actually make him laugh?]

[That deserves some sort of award, right?]</sub>

video

[show_my_cannons]

[MAYBE. Maybe.]

All right, kid. You have a box.

Good job.

video

[foolishwren]

Yes I do.

Can I have a gold star?

video

[show_my_cannons]

How... am I supposed to give you one of those?

video

[foolishwren]

_{[At that, she laughs, shaking her head and making a dismissive 'forget it' gesture.]}

Never mind.

Anyway, I'd say my point is proven.

video

[show_my_cannons]

Because you have one box?

video

[foolishwren]

Yes.

video

[show_my_cannons]

You think one box makes you bigger than me?

video

[foolishwren]

It's not a matter of size, it's a matter of strategy.

video

[show_my_cannons]

But size helps.

video [1/2]

[foolishwren]

Sure, but it doesn't always win.

video [2/2]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[... But it does a lot of the time.]

[As that thought crosses her mind, her expression actually becomes a little more subdued.]</sub>

Hey, Ironhide...

video

[show_my_cannons]

But it helps.

[He pauses, quirking an eyebrow at the change in tone.]

... Yeah?

video

[foolishwren]

I know we've talked about this before... sparring, you teaching me stuff...

... But I guess I just... I've been thinking about it a lot, and I really n-- ... I wanna learn. I wanna get stronger.

I know you're back in Johto and stuff, but...

video

[show_my_cannons]

... Yeah, kid. Sure thing. Next time we meet up.

Everything all right?

video

[foolishwren]

... Yeah.

_{[It doesn't really sound convincing at all, but she's too tired to care much.]}

I just ... I've just had some time to think, s'all.

video

[show_my_cannons]

... You going to tell me what you were thinking about?

video

[foolishwren]

Just... stuff.

_{[SUPER SPECIFIC.]}

... Just wanting to be able to defend myself more. ... Since we can't have weapons here. And the Pokemon... well... what if something happens where we don't have 'em, you know?

<sub>[She's always been scrappy. She's never NEEDED weapons, necessarily, to feel confident that she can hold her own in a scuffle.]

[... Until now. Because there's a giant range of situations between 'schoolyard brawl' and 'fighting deformed, inhuman monstrosities of flesh to the death'. Not all monsters can be kept down with a good kick...]</sub>

video

[show_my_cannons]

Stuff, huh?

[He listens, frowning. He doesn't particularly like the sound of this. It sounds more like something's happened.]

[But he hasn't heard of any problems.]

Yeah. I know. I can teach you some things. But it would be easier to do if I knew what to train you for.

video

[foolishwren]

_{[Something happened, all right. But she's apparently not planning on bringing it up.]}

Anything helps.

I don't really care what it is.

Just... anything.

_{[Hell, at this point she'd welcome lessons on how to dance-fight West Side Story-style.]}

video

[show_my_cannons]

Kid, if I start to teach you one thing, and it is... hn.

If I left you unprepared, I could not accept it.