008. Video

[foolishwren]

<sub>[When the screen comes on, it's pointed straight at the sky-- specifically, at the deep, smoke-gray thunderheads starting to roll in. The foliage just peeking over the bottom of the screen's view is whipping around in a frenzy, buffeted by the foreboding winds that have sprung up in the face of the storm.]

[Heather's voice then cuts in over the roar of weather. She's YELLING to make herself heard.]</sub>

Can you BELIEVE this!?

Can you friggin' believe this?!

All day yesterday I'm slogging along through the heat and then the moment I get to the city to actually chill around in civilization, THIS happ--

_{[A handful or so of wet leaves is quite suddenly plastered against the camera lens. Thank you, 60 mph wind. Thank you]}

Ackplthh--!!

_{[... And apparently Heather was hit in the face by several, too.]}

PLHHHFFLT! If I have to spend another week sitting in the Pokemon Center in order not to drown, I am gonna...... oh boy.

<sub>[Aaaand here comes the rolling wall of pure downpour. The camera turns sharply and any viewers still watching are treated to a tilta-whirl of grass, dirt, a running Sentret, and occasionally Heather's boots as she high-tails it away from the rain. THAT'S RIGHT, HEATHER. IF YOU RUN FAST ENOUGH, YOU CAN OUTRUN NATURE.]

[Eventually the video feed cuts out.]</sub>

Comments

[foolishwren]

Yeah, it IS nice... when it's not being flooded. _{[Looked like SOMEONE was a little sulky. She'd get over it though.]}

... Well hey there. _{[Some girls were scared of snakes. Heather didn't have any particular affinity for them, but she wasn't really scared of them either-- she crossed her eyes slightly as the long reptile's head wavered in front of her face.]}

It's pretty. What's the name mean?

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

Weather changes, y'know? Just be patient.

[Kotai, deciding she liked Heather, proceeded to curl up around Otacon's ankle again.]

I...named her after a friend of mine. Sort of. It means 'solid'.

[foolishwren]

_{[Heather shows what she thinks of THAT suggestion by making a face. OTACON DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE TALKING TO A TEENAGER? OBVIOUSLY THE WHOLE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND HER.]}

Oh? That's... an interesting name.

_{[Just wait. In a few days she's going think about how 'solid' is like 'liquid' and then remember the 'IT'S A CODENAME' thing and THEN have a big 'AHA!' moment. ... And then start to wonder if there's a Solid Snake. .... And then she'd laugh at how easily those names can be turned into bathroom jokes.]}

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

[We all laughed at that. Some of us still do. 8|]

I know it's a little weird. But she sort of reminded me of home in a strange way. Besides...I like snakes. [In more ways than one.]

[foolishwren]

_{[MIDDLESCHOOL HUMOR REIGNS SUPREME.]}

Snakes are pretty cool. I used to want a pet one when I was little. ... Or a lizard... or a frog... actually I guess I wanted anything that would freak my dad out. <sub>[Yes, Heather was one of THOSE kids. The one whose pockets had to be checked for hidden bullfrogs repeatedly during the elementary school years.]

[oh Otacon you and your snakes]</sub>

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

[HELL YEAH]

Heh. I never had a pet growing up--always liked dogs, though.

[foolishwren]

_{[Eugh. She shudders a little.]}

Neeeever liked dogs.

_{[Which was a little unfair of her, she admitted. Apart from the obvious case of the charming mutts in Silent Hill, she had never actually had a bad experience with dogs in this life. No... her fear of them was one of the many little quirks carried over from her time as Alessa.]}

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

Too bad. I guess everyone's got their likes and dislikes, ya know?

Although to be fair, I like animals in general. [Pause.] Except for the fact that cats make me sneeze.

[foolishwren]

Heh, yeah... I mean, I'm fine with 'em as long as they're not... y'know, near me. Bad experiences.

_{[Though Cujo is slowly starting to soften her up. Not that she'd ever admit it.]}

Cats are pretty okay... I guess I wouldn't mind having a cat.

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

That's okay, it's understandable. Not everyone's gonna like the same things.

They're cute, but...I don't know, guess I'm allergic.

[Another pause.]

Not much of a fan of birds, either. Maybe that's why Hakubi doesn't like me.

[foolishwren]

Birds? Right, I think you mentioned that... birds are okay, I guess. I dunno what it would be like to have a pet one-- ... or. Actually, I guess I do now...

_{[She is referring, of course, to Claudy the Hoothoot. Who has taken up a seemingly-permanent residence in her backpack. Behold, the Owlbag.]}

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

I don't really mind them, I guess. Just not really my preference.

[And the Owlbag was a truly amazing thing to behold.]

[foolishwren]

Yeeeah.

I guess before now, I just never really interacted with animals that much. ... At least in a way that didn't involve... y'know. Violence.

_{[... And then, hastily, she adds--]} ... Nnnnot that I'd ever like, hurt normal animals.

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

[Blinkblink.]

[Otacon decided he wasn't sure he wanted to know the context of that statement.]

I had a friend a few years ago that had pet wolf-dog hybrids. They were really sweet once they got to know you--past that, I don't really interact with animals much either.

[foolishwren]

_{[It's okay Otacon, Heather's not a sociopath! She just hasn't had any nice experiences with animal-like things.]}

Well that's pretty cool, I guess... I'm more used to dogs, y'know, trying to rip my face off or use my legs as chew-toys.

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

Really? That's a shame...funny, though, Snake complained of the same thing after we left Shadow Moses. Really don't think those dogs would've hurt him, though.

[Oh, Otacon. You so silly.]

[foolishwren]

_{[She blinked and tilted her head.]}

Snake? ... Oh! You mean Liquid? That jerk scared the crap out of me the other night.

_{[... No, Heather. Not THAT Snake.]}

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

...Why would I be working with Liquid?

[MINDFUCK TIEM]

[foolishwren]

_{[... Wait whut?]}

... Well... he's a soldier, and said you guys were traveling together...

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

I work with his brother. Solid Snake--it's why I named Kotai what I did.

Liquid's...insane. Out to kill Snake at any cost. I thought if I traveled with him I could keep an eye on him for whenever Snake shows up--maybe even stop them from fighting.

[foolishwren]

... Well that adds a whole slew of weird to what I initially had in mind.

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

...He didn't hurt you, did he? This one's younger than the Liquid I knew back home, but...he's still dangerous.

[foolishwren]

Wh-- hell no! If he had, he'd be lying in a ditch somewhere right now with severe head trauma. And regrets. _{[... Okay, that statement was kinda overconfident. ... A LOT overconfident.]}

... Is this something I should be worried about? ... I don't mind a little insanity, believe me, I've dealt with enough total lunatics to know that some are worth freaking out over and some aren't, but in the event that something bad happens, I'd like to know what to expect.

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

[He smiled at Heather's confidence, somehow just a little reassured.]

You shouldn't need to worry. He wouldn't have any reason to attack a civilian like you--his problem's with me and Snake, and I just have to watch my step.

[foolishwren]

_{[Overconfidence on her part or not, he had a right to be reassured. Even if Heather wasn't a trained soldier or anything, she'd faced worse than madmen. ... A lot worse.]}

... All right. _{[Just to be sure, she'd watch her step, too. ... She did like Liquid. But Heather wasn't generally someone who let that sort of thing get in the way of... y'know. Surviving. ... Or revenge, for that matter. She hadn't always hated Claudia, after all...]} ... You be careful then, though.