105. FOURTH WALL POST [Action for Saffron City, anywhere in Saffron City! Video's okay too]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[You know what?]

[Heather's not even sure why she TRIES anymore.]





[So done. So done.]</sub>


Here we go again.


... Yes, Cooj, I still love you.

Just not right now.

Comments

[foolishwren]

_{[She does breathe out a little chuff of laughter as the rotting Cujo sits down on Jack's foot and starts to pant happily, but... yeah, he's right.]}

... Eh.

Not really. Haven't been for awhile.

... I guess I can say that here since once this weekend's over, nobody's gonna remember anything.

[quickattackjack]

_{[The skeleton's shoulders fall. He pats Cujo on the head but turns his attention to Heather.]}

I'm very sorry...

_{[Jack knows it's not because she's missing Halloween either.]}

Is there anything I can do? My ears are missing for the moment, but I guarantee I'm a good listener.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She pauses.]

[There's no compelling reason she can't vent a little... no one will remember anything after this weekend, or if they do, it'll be vague enough probably that the specifics will melt away into every other crazy thing that goes on.]

[... But talking about it means thinking about it.]

[Figuring out how to word things you don't want to think about too hard in the first place is one of the worst things in the world.]

[... So finally, she just sort of shrugs.]</sub>

I don't think there's much anybody can do.

[quickattackjack]

_{[Jack felt sorrow for Heather, but didn't push further.]}

I understand. However, as I told a young man the other day, we aren't dead yet.

[foolishwren]

... Yeah, well...



... Most of us...

<sub>[... Well what's that supposed to mean, Heather?]

[In truth she's not entirely sure.]

[... But when people keep 'going home', and some of the people she knows and loves here are dead back there...]</sub>

[quickattackjack]

<sub>[At that, Jack falls silent and looks out across the street. Somewhere in the distance something that was probably a dinosaur trumpeted, only to be silenced by what sounded like lasers.]

[What a strange world.]</sub>

Who stays dead forever, anyhow?

[foolishwren]

_{[... After a pause...]}

... In my world?

Everyone but me.

[quickattackjack]

_{[Jack didn't have a heart to sink. How lonely...]}

That's not where you are now. Who knows? Perhaps one day there will be an exception. Or another world even better than this one.

[foolishwren]

I don't need a better world.

I've died a thousand times to STOP the freaks who want that.

... I just wanna live my life without losing everybody.

[quickattackjack]

<sub>[The skeleton folds his hands in his lap. He can't stop people from going away. Nobody could. Death was just something that happened--he'd know. The longer he'd been in Johto the clearer the memories of his own death had become--and he'd only died once. He couldn't imagine what Heather's had been like.]

[He has to admit he doesn't know much about the girl and doesn't pretend to.]</sub>


You will lose some--I'll guarantee that. But you won't lose everybody. I don't think so.

[foolishwren]

_{[She puffs out a hapless sigh, clasping her hands between her knees and just looking morosely off at the dimming park.]}

It doesn't feel that way...

[quickattackjack]

<sub>[At this, Jack shrugs wearily. He couldn't tell her to feel different. It wasn't his place. And who was he to say he wouldn't just...disappear when the sun came back up? Perhaps having all the precious memories he's made here in Johto suddenly ripped from him was worse than death.]

[It wouldn't do to dwell on that though. He wasn't 'dead' yet.]</sub>