111. Fourth Wall Post [VIDEO/ACTION FOR ANYWHERE]

[foolishwren]

_{[Static. Then, jumbled, chaotic video-- but through it all, there's the gruff, guttural voice of a Croconaw.]}

T-turn on the camera!

Hurry!!




How do I get her to let go?!

<sub>[Karma.]

[It takes awhile... but it eventually comes back around.]</sub>


[ooc: Heather has become Memory of Alessa for the duration of Fourth Wall! Feel free to tag if you want your character to interact with spooky semi-feral zombie-Heather, no matter where they are!]

Comments

[imthe_shit]

[ ... Okay. Well, Snake turned his head a bit before moving closer to the flailing 'Zilla, mindful of the corpse-like version of Heather that was there as well. ]

Easy now...

[ He placed a hand on the Pokemon, staring at that horror-like vision. What the hell happened to her? ]

Heather... Let go. You have to let go. [ Did she still have her Pokemon? Maybe he could call to Sunny... ]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Her face was utterly expressionless-- but she was emitting a low buzzing noise that was becoming a slowly-growing growl.]

[WHY SHOULD SHE LET GO]

[YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF HER AND YOUR MUSTACHE LOOKS LIKE A CATERPILLAR]

[As for Pokemon-- it would seem that Godzilla was the only one unfortunate enough to be in the immediate vicinity when whatever happened, uh... happened.]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ Snake can definitely hear that growling and he glares. He didn't want to try grabbing her-- he wasn't sure how that... oozing body would take it. Not to mention with the way she was biting the Pokemon, he didn't want to make it worse.

...

He opened up his backpack, looking for something he could use on her. Snake pulled out a repel, giving it a bit of a thoughtful look. ]

Not sure if this would work on her or just make your day even worse. [ He's speaking to the Croconaw, but he's very tempted to spray Heather in the face with it. ]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Godzilla's ample snout wrinkles at the sight of the familiar spray-bottle-- Heather has used it plenty of times before on the road when she didn't want to deal with getting swarmed by rats or bats and he knows he doesn't like that smell.]

[But he covers his eyes with one chubby 'hand' and stretches the other away from himself, lip trembling.]

[Heather, however, just squints at the spraybottle. The hell is that? She's literally never seen anything like that before. Is it a weapon? It doesn't look like one.]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

Sorry, kid.

[ Looks like that was his go ahead. Snake points the spray bottle at Zombther's face and sprays it, giving her a face-full of Repel. ]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Well, Memory of Alessa isn't a Pokemon... so naturally the Repel doesn't work on her quite the same way it would a marauding Zubat swooping down on you from a cave ceiling.]

[But getting a face full of chemicals is unpleasant no matter what you are.]</sub>

GRRAAAAAGHKKGHK!

_{[With a guttural cry, she lets go of the Croconaw and drops to the floor, clawing at her face.]}

[imthe_shit]

[ GOOD ENOUGH Snake grabs the Croconaw, trying to bring the Pokemon enough so that he could hide behind the old soldier. ]

I've got you.

[ This was a peculiar situation, but Snake decided not to think too much about it, instead focusing on just protecting the one that was attacked... and finding out what could be done against this Heather... Some way to save her? He was keeping a hold on the Repel, holding it as if it were a replacement weapon. ]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It's hard to hide behind someone when your belly sticks out on either side-- but god help him, the Croconaw TRIES.]

[Heather, meanwhile, continues to squall in a distinctly animal-like manner-- ... and then turns and scuttles away on all fours. First onto the bed. And then on top of the closet. It isn't until she's wedged into the gap between it at the ceiling that she falls silent save for a low, continuous growl. And just crouches there, eyes glimmering down at them both from the shadowy gap.]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ ... It's hard to take seriously when this weird zombie of your friend is hiding in a weird corner on top of the closet. It was like a feral cat... covered in oozing wounds.

Snake looks up at her and tilts his head, narrowing his eyes. ]

Heather... What the hell happened to you? ... Are you Heather?

[foolishwren]

<sub>[There is pretty much nothing about this situation that isn't weird.]

[The eyes narrow and a disgruntled snarl is his reply.]

[There's a tapping sound as she drums her strange, sharp fingers on the wood.]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ What could he even do in this situation...? This clearly wasn't the Heather he knew, even if it... well it looked like her, if she was a rotting corpse. It was extremely unsettling to him... Reminded him of all those nightmares he had of watching Big Boss burn in front of him. Although that was his doing. ]

Get down from there. Tell me what happened.

[ Snake, you're talking to a ZOMBIE. ]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[The tapping increases, agitatedly.]

[Like hell she's coming down from there, old man. >8I]

[And to display that, she reaches over the edge and leaves a set of deep scratches in the wood.]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ Oh yeah he still has the spray bottle in hand. He puts it away, instead taking out what appears to be a doll of a Togetic. He wasn't sure how he had it, but he found it in his backpack... Otacon made it for him one Christmas.

He holds it up, showing it to Heather, hoping to get some kind of response. ]

Heather... Do you remember this?

[foolishwren]

<sub>[YEAH, her eyes are still stinging from that. B( SHE DOESN'T WANNA GET NAILED IN THE FACE WITH THAT STUFF AGAIN, NO THANK YOU.]

[But when he pulls out the plush toy, said eyes widen back to almost full circles.]

[She doesn't quite... remember it, but there is a certain familiarity about it.]

[She tips her head to the side.]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ Well, that was a better reaction than before. He doesn't want to let her hold it, because it'd be a shame if she tried to bite it... But he continues to hold it out to her. ]

Otacon gave it to me. Do you remember him? And Liquid? You traveled with them for a long time.

[ As much as he didn't like Liquid, he had to acknowledge that he and Heather had a sort of bond. ]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yeah, the last thing you wanna do with a cute stuffed animal is give it to the gross-looking undead feral child parked on top of the closet.]

[Her head promptly tips to the other side, like a really morbid version of that video with the excited bobble-headed pugs.]

[She pokes one claw into her mouth to tap at her teeth contemplatively.]

[Does she remember? It's been a long time...]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ Okay... This was progress. He just had to try more. ]

... This Togetic... It's based on the one I used to have. Her name is Sunny... She evolved into a Togekiss. She... was my partner. And I left her with you when I... left.

I'm sorry for leaving, Heather, but I'm here now. [ He smooths his thumb over the doll's belly. ] Don't let this... monster consume you. Try to remember.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[For a time, she's silent-- actively listening. It seems like he might be getting through to her-- if not stirring actual memories, then at least making her think.]

[But then at the 'consuming' part, the burning eyes narrow again.]

[The low growl starts up once more in her throat, and this time it has an affronted, almost insulted note to it.]

[Because FIRST OF ALL HOW DARE U...]

['Monster' she can deal with. But to suggest she was trying to replace her doppelganger? Ha! Even at her worst, the most she had wanted was to just purge them both from existence, sparing the world a gruesome fate. And she'd gotten over that! ... You know, mostly.]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ All right, maybe that wasn't the right choice of words. Snake frowns a bit, lowering his hand. ]

... Sorry.

I just don't like seeing you like this. You're a good kid, you're not... this.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[At that, her head tips jerkily to the side, and-- for the first time, she makes an expression. The flesh around her mouth actually cracks as it splits into a yellow-toothed grin. Or as close to a grin as the face can manage-- effort or not, facial expressions are still more or less beyond her abilities.]

[But she looks amused, and it's not a particularly kind amusement.]

[Because oh, reeaaaaaaaaally?]

[Do you know what your surrogate grandkid has been doing while you've been away, Snake?]

[Letting out a low series of chuffs that could be a laugh, she extends both hands out over the edge of the closet and claws pointedly at the wood, leaving more gouges and scrapes.]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ That was not a reaction he was expecting from the beast... a shadow of his friend. They were both scorched shadows now, though Heather considerably more so.

He wishes the thing could speak so he could figure out why it was laughing, and he looked behind himself at the Croconaw. ]

Why the hell... [ He looks back up at the memory. ] What's so funny?

[foolishwren]

<sub>[SEE SNAKE, SHE WAS TELLING THE TRUTH WHEN SHE SAID SHE UNDERSTOOD.]

[Being burned alive is something they can commiserate on-- although Alessa's body had been disfigured beyond recognition, beyond even what this creature's wounds suggested.]

[She props her chin on one long-fingered hand, still letting out deep, rattly huffs of breath.]

[And then, with the other hand, points to herself.]

[Because this is Heather. Part of her, anyway. A part she doesn't tell very many people about, admittedly...]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ Snake furrows his brow, not completely understanding. ]

You? [ He shakes his head, feeling frustrated. ] This isn't funny, what you've turned into. Get down from the damn closet, Heather.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE HER AN ORDER, SNAKE?]

[Well, sorry, she's just going to stare at him with burning intensity and then start pointedly clawing up the wood again.]

[FUCK THA POLICE]</sub>

[imthe_shit]

[ 8T Snake growls, half tempted to set the damn closet on fire, but that wouldn't help anything. Instead, he walks over to it and starts pushing on it, despite his back screaming at him to stop. ]