foolishwren | 008. Video

008. Video

_{[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.]}

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.

_{[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.]}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

_{[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.]}

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.

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.

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.

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.]}

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

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

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.

[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.

_{[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.

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.]

_{[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.]}

...Why would I be working with Liquid?

[MINDFUCK TIEM]

_{[... Wait whut?]}

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

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.

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

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

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.

[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.

_{[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.

Don't worry about me.

[He smiled, trying to reassure her.]

I've dealt with worse than Liquid. Just not personally.

All right, as long as you're sure.

_{[Heather wasn't one of those ultra-protective types, the kind that smothered the people they were concerned about. Not like her father had been. Hell, she wasn't even totally ready to admit that she'd been making friends here. It had been so long since she'd done something normal like that-- and let's face it, if anything that happens in THIS place is considered anything remotely like 'normal', it means your own life is more or less an aberration.]

[But needless to say, she was concerned about the people she had met here.]}

Just be careful.

_{[... And then, because GOD FORBID she act all sappy and worried for more than two seconds without cracking a joke, she grins crookedly and bunches her fists.]}

I could give ya a few tips, if you want! Y'know, in case you ever need to do any... clobbering.

[Otacon laughed, waving a hand dismissively. Though it was sweet that she seemed a little worried.]

I don't think that'll be necessary. Besides, I'm a pacifist--couldn't hurt him if I wanted to. Combat's not my thing.

_{[She shrugged.]}

We-ell, all right, if you're sure. Never hurts to know a few tricks, though. _{[Nodding seriously, she waves a finger like she's making some kind of super-important point. It's all part of that goofball facade, of course, although there is some seriousness underneath. At least it's not another 'Ghost of the Bloody Finger' story.]} My old man taught me that. I laughed at him. And then one day I was faced with the dilemma of either kicking something into submission or becoming very dead, and then I totally understood.

True story.

You don't seem like the type to let anyone or anything give her trouble.

[He smiled playfully, adjusting his glasses.]

I...bet he was really proud of you.

Used to be. Not anymore.

_{[And at that, her smile doesn't disappear-- she's gotten good at retaining that-- but there's something in her expression that becomes a little strained.]}

Mm... I hope so.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject