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]

Never heard o-- oh. Well.

It's like a lion. ... Except orange and stripey.

You've heard of lions, right? _{[... She hopes. :I]}

And heh... yeah. Sounds about right. I've heard so many different accounts of what happens when you 'go back', but the most common one seems to be that nobody even knew you were gone.

[iorhael]

I'm afraid I haven't heard of a lion either.

[have you tried likening it to a giant housecat the size of a small pony?]

And the one least likely to cause a dragon's hoard of problems, after what we have been through. Can you imagine if we had been gone for months at a time, to reappear after those very months? They would have thought us long dead!

[foolishwren]

_{[WAT. Heather blinks.... then decides it's best to say just that.]}

Well, uh... y'know cats? Imagine one that's real big. Like, the size of a small horse.

... Actually...

<sub>[Now that she THINKS of it... she sets Cujo's Pokeball aside and starts to rummage in her pockets for a different one. She thinks she has Cleo with her...]

[As she does so, she continues to speak.]</sub>

Gimme a second... but yeah, no, I know what you mean. It'd be kinda awkward...

... Although I guess for me, no one'd be too surprised...

<sub>[She had only one person at home to worry after her whereabouts... to everybody else, she was just a troubled, poorly-behaved teen whose father had been gruesomely murdered.]

[Kids like her disappeared frequently and with few questions asked.]</sub>

[iorhael]

A cat the size of a small horse! There can't be any such thing!

[it sounds very frightening, actually, and in this case, he'd prefer that it was bad enough wargs and wolves were about; one hardly needs giant cats on top of those.

And oh Heather. Your world sounded before like a very grim place, and your life, even grimmer.]

You were on your own early, I take it.

[foolishwren]

Sure is! They're like... scary-big. ... But anyway, yeah, Cooj kinda looks like that.

_{[Not QUITE as big... and now that she's known him long enough to get over her fear of dogs (at least when it's around HIM, other dogs, not so much), not quite as scary either.]}

... But yeah.

Y'remember when we met? Right after my dad died? _{[She can say it a whole lot easier now-- not that it ever won't be painful, but the years in between eased the blow somewhat.]}

It had been a year or so after that that I came here...

And I've been here for... well, three years now. Pretty much.

I'm used to being on my own by this point.

_{[Even though she isn't, anymore-- she has a family here. Still, she grins a little roguishly at the hobbit.]}

If the me NOW could go back THERE, I'd whoop the butts of every dumb monster there and not even think twice about it! _{[Being in control of a bunch of superpowered animals is enough to make anyone cocky. ... But Heather especially.]} HEY, remember that time we killed one of those space-wolf things? And like, almost DIED? How crazy was THAT?

[iorhael]

[Frodo's covered his mouth with a hand, eyes wide as saucers] They certainly sound frightening. I'm glad that we don't have those back where I come from; a normal sized dog or wolf is trouble enough!

[he nod: yes, he remembers. The grief was still fresh for her. Time, it seems, has made the hurt a little less now, with so many years between]

At least you can take some comfort that you aren't truly alone here. [with those creatures that keep her company. Even outside of the monstrous form he just saw, Frodo has to wonder if Cooj is good company regardless. He sounds far too fearsome]

Far too mad to ever want to go through again, and I should like to avoid such, if it's possible! The you back then did very well in taking two of those black wolves on unarmed!

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Time, and the fact that she has her father back here. It's bittersweet at times... since they both know that he's dead. But it's better than nothing.]

[Closure works wonders.]</sub>

It's one of those things that I'm kind of amazed we made it out of alive. Not complainin', though! It was a close one.

<sub>[But not so close that she can't be enthusiastic about it in hindsight.]

[At last, she seemingly finds whatever it was she'd been looking for-- and pulls another ball out of her pocket.]</sub>

AHA.

Found it!

Wanna see a lion? ... Or... something LIKE a lion?

_{[Heather you look way too happy about your enormous magical animals.]}

SORRY, super late I know.

[iorhael]

An exceedingly close, and far too close for this hobbit's taste. You showed the courage of ten warriors that day.

[he can't help but look warily. Especially at what she's told him of those creatures and that look in her face]

...I suppose I should learn more. Please, go on.

IT'S OKAY it's fourth wall, no need to rush. XD

[foolishwren]

_{[She beams-- and then hits the button. This time it's a flash of WHITE light. And when it fades, an enormous cat, roughly the size of a lioness, sits on the ground between them. The Persian blinks idly in the fading sunlight, then gets to her feet to stretch luxuriously.]}

[iorhael]

[Frodo's eyes have grown impossibly wide. And he's managed not to find someplace to hide, which for any hobbit with any ounce of hobbit sense, and indeed, any Big Folk with even half that, would have done.

The only reason he hasn't is because he trusts Heather not to put him in danger here. So Frodo will study it, if from a safe distance]

It's so large! Why, it looks like it could swallow a hobbit in two or three bites.

[foolishwren]

Probably COULD, if she tried!

... She'd rather just try to eat my smaller pets, though.

_{[She frowns at that, while the Persian-- its name is Cleo-- just gazes at her coolly before turning her attention to Frodo. Because WOW IT'S A MINIATURE HUMAN, HOW STRANGE.]}

... Now don't you get any ideas.

[iorhael]

[Frodo gives the pokemon an uneasy look, then tries to take a more stern tone with Heather]

I do hope you have mastery over her! Neither you nor I will be very happy if she decides to try a taste of hobbit.

[foolishwren]

... Yeah, uh...

<sub>[Heather didn't entiiirely think this through, because there is indeed a somewhat predatory gleam in Cleo's eye.]

[Without further ado, she holds the ball up again and quickly withdraws the oversized cat. The last thing she needs is to have to pull a hobbit out of an uncooperative Pokemon's mouth.]</sub>

... Better safe than sorry.

[iorhael]

[Frodo can't help but find himself relieved when the Pokemon goes back; she looked as if she were considering what a hobbit must taste like]

You do certainly keep rather odd company.

[foolishwren]

Hheh, well... that's kinda the way of things around here, I guess...

No weapons allowed, but you get complimentary animals to sic on people if they bother you.

_{[... Well the idea is to sic them on the wildlife if IT bothers you, but ehhhh SAME THING RIGHT.]}

[iorhael]

I would hope that you wouldn't often find a need for a weapon around here!

[and that has gotten her a Look]

That is hardly an improvement! And what if the animal itself would very much prefer comfort and sleep to fighting?

[foolishwren]

_{[Her grin falters a little at the Look, but ... yeah. Now that she thinks of it... it sounds AWFUL to anyone who hasn't already been here awhile.]}

Well, there's some people who don't care. Me, I've got a bunch who don't like fighting, so ... yeah. I never make 'em do it.

The only ones of mine who ever fight kinda... like it?

Like, it's like a sport to them.

[iorhael]

Good! They are lucky to have found such a kind master in you.

I suppose each to whatever tastes they may like, but fighting as a sport?

[that may have sounded like pure Hobbiton coming out of him. Almost in the same tone that most hobbits would refer to adventure; something better left not heard of or said too much about!]

[foolishwren]

_{[Sh shrugs expressively.]}

I know, I know, it sounds awful! But try stoppin' them.

It's basically a national pastime here and everybody's into it... the people and the animals.

... It probably helps that they're practically indestructible. Not like... invulnerable or anything, but some of the stuff I've seen 'em walk away from...

[iorhael]

[Frodo visibly winces at the idea. A hobbit stepping between those creatures]

I suppose you're right. One would find themselves more likely trampled.

[well....as long as the animals actually like it, but still. Big Folk]

I shall never understand you Big Folk.

[foolishwren]

Heh, well, I can't really fault you for that.

We're pretty weird.