foolishwren | 126. [Video, action for anywhere in Goldenrod] (backdated to January 29th)

_{[She'd been lucky enough to be spared the effects of the past three weeks. BUT SHE'S NOT SO LUCKY THIS TIME.]

[The video opens on her already walking hurriedly down a surburban Goldenrod street towards the downtown area. IF SHE JUST KEEPS MOVING, MAYBE SHE WON'T HAVE TO TALK TO ANYBODY ELSE TODAY.]

[But just in case, she's hoping she can stave off karma catching up with her by making a quick confession to the network.]}

HEY.

So anyone who was here like a year ago and wondered about the weird black eye I had that one time?

I lied.

I didn't get it in a fight with a dude 'the size of Kentucky' like I claimed.

Actually, I just walked into a glass door because I was thinking about how much I wanted a Pumpka-spice latte from Sawsbucks and I was too embarrassed to tell anybody.

_{[The camera then turns abruptly to the sky.]}

THERE! You happy, weird Pokemon gods? I said something embarrassing! Now leave me alone!

_{[The video ends.]

[Spoiler alert: she is not going to be left alone.]}

[ooc: For action threads, feel free to tag in with your character ANYWHERE AROUND THE CITY.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Blake's hands tighten until the knuckles whiten. His voice is thick and strange.]

We try. We try, dammit.

But we fuck up.

_{[She can hear the rage in his voice-- that thick, swampy emotion that can gum up your throat like dense mud when it builds up.]

[It's kind of sweet, really. That he'd be so angry on her behalf.]

[She assumes most people would, honestly, because any decent individual would be downright motherfucking appalled to hear about the sad, short life of Alessa Gillespie and all the ripples that followed from it.]

[But coming from Blake in particular... she's touched.]

[At the same time, she can't quite muster his energy. Some days she can, but on so many others, it's all just so tiring to relive. And that's the kind of day it is today.]}

I don't think anybody tried for me.

Or for any of the others.

No one but Dad-- and he barely got out with his own life. Much less anybody else's but mine.

[Blake doesn't like people messing with kids. Especially ones he knows and likes. It's never supposed to get that far. Somebody's supposed to stop them.]

They should have. Shoulda been there, and shoulda gotten it right.

You weren't alone?

_{[She's staring into her coffee. It's a moment or two before she answers.]}

... There were other kids, yeah.

None quite like me. Normal kids.

_{[For the most part, anyway. She's long suspected that Claudia was special, somehow. That she had powers not unlike the ones Alessa had.]

[But while Claudia had endured no small amount of abuse and manipulation herself, there was no comparing anything to what Alessa went through.]

[To that night, the ritual. To the seven years after that.]}

I think one sect ran an orphanage, somewhere. But I don't remember for sure.

Jesus.

[A whole orphanage of their own. The way Heather talks doesn't suggest a happy ending for them. No need to ask.]

What happened to the others?

[Damn it. He can't keep his mouth shut today. As soon as it's out he winces.]

Sorry. You don't gotta talk about it.

_{[He'd have to talk to Henry to find out the fate of the Hope House kids (or one of them in particular, at least), but he's right. It wasn't happy.]

[She sighs, shaking her head a bit.]}

No, it's okay.

The ones I knew personally... they're dead.

That's all there is to it, I guess.

_{[She'll leave it there.]

[EXCEPT NO SHE WON'T BECAUSE HAHAHA FUCK YOU JOHTO]}

One of them came after us. My dad and I.

She'd been-- ... she'd been groomed. Brainwashed. She thought... that she was doing the right thing.

[Blake stares down at the counter for a long time.

All he can say is,] I'm sorry.

I never...goddammit. I didn't know.

[Would he have treated her differently from the get-go if he had? He can't say.

His head whips around when she keeps going.]

Jesus. What'd you do?

_{[Another pause. This one is filled by a sigh. Even with the day's anomalous effects at play, it's still hard to succinctly put it all into words.]}

... Tried to stay alive.

_{[--is what she finally comes up with.]}

126. [Video, action for anywhere in Goldenrod] (backdated to January 29th)

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