021. ACTION! (and text)

[foolishwren]

_{(she's in too much of a hurry to make the text private to any of the individuals she's searching for-- and it's not as if they're the only ones. They're just.... the most urgent. Most of her friends can take care of themselves, she knows, but... these two...)}


Harry, James WHERE ARE YOU???
please reply

and if your'e on the ground, get somewhere hihg up
DON'T TOUCH THIS STUFF

-Heather


<sub>[The typos? Not a result of a careless hand-- Heather's RUNNING while she texts that, and more than a little frantic. Spelling mistakes be damned!]

[With the weird, ringing rush of the advancing crystals roaring in her ears, getting herself to safety is both the first AND last thing on Heather's mind-- she wants to know what the hell is causing this, and how to STOP it, and whether or not some particular people are safe, but she can't do that from the ground unless she wants to wind up looking like a blue-raspberry popsicle person, which is not exactly Point 1 on her agenda. Arty was originally running with her (she didn't trust Cujo not to like... try and LICK it or something), but as the crystallization got thicker and thicker, Heather had wisely decided maybe her critters would be better off in their Pokeballs. Others have probably seen her dashing through the street, occasionally pausing to dispense with some helpful hollered advice or offer someone a hand out of a tight situation-- which..... uh. Which she's sort of in right now.]</sub>

F-- ... god damn it.

<sub>[Breathing heavily, Heather skids to a halt so fast that her boots left trails of dark rubber on the pavement. Maybe it would have been a better idea to go around the outskirts of the town rather than run right into the most heavily-hit edges, but she'd been hunting for a fire escape or-- SOMETHING to get up above the range above the rapidly-expanding mineral sea, and had ducked into a narrow little alley when she'd realized she'd gotten herself into a tight spot, with rivulets of the crystal trickling in on all sides of her.]

[Aaaaand what did she find in that ill-chosen escape route?]

[A dead end. And some trash cans. But mostly a dead end.]</sub>

... Well that's helpful.

_{[This was uttered in a hiss as she whipped around to look over her shoulder-- the blue gunk was already building up around the edges of the alley entrance and even starting to flow into it, blocking her way out. Well, Heather, this is what you get for charging into things without a plan... as usual...]}

Never again... god, is this Monday? Shit like this only ever happens on Mondays. I fucking hate Mondays.

_{[No Heather, it's Wednesday and you're talking to yourself again.]}

... Oh fuckfuckfuck--!

<sub>[Of course the crystal was starting to creep in after her. It wasn't enough to trap her in an alleyway, it had to come join the party. Muttering a steady stream of incredibly impolite words under her breath (and this time, she didn't care if Harry was somehow listening in, this was justified), Heather shoved the 'Gear in her hands into her back pocket and clambered up onto one of the trash cans, which wobbled dangerously-- ... until crystal started to creep up its base and helpfully fused it to the ground.]

[Great.]

[Panting, Heather looked around hastily. There had to be something she could use in here, had to, she'd been in more than one situation like this before... she'd gotten away from that awful advancing red mist in the Borley Haunted Mansion and that was much quicker than this! C'mon, c'mon..... AHA! A fire escape, jutting out from the side of one of the buildings she was trapped between. ...... Way too high up for her to jump to. .... Shit.]

[A thread of crystal made contact with the side of her boot with a hiss and she jerked it away with a barely-concealed yelp, hopping perilously to another one of the cans, arms thrown out on either side of her to keep balance.]

[Okay, there wasn't any TIME to ponder an escape route. She had to get to that fire escape and she had to get to it now. Heather gritted her teeth. Okay. It had been awhile since she'd done any of this. More than two months, actually. But-- ... screw that, it had to be kind of like riding a bike, right? She couldn't have lost her touch this soon.]

[The metal lid under her feet crackled as glassy diamond flowed over it and hardened.]</sub>

... Only one way to find out.

<sub>[Drawing in a quick breath, Heather leaped off the can and at the opposing brick wall, hoping to dear god that her boots had enough traction to pull this off.]

[WHUNK-THUD! Boot made contact, and then she shoved off-- YES!]



[Anyone who happened to be watching, either from the rooftops she was trying to get onto or somehow from the mouth of the alley, would be able to witness Heather literally scrambling up between two sheer (but narrowly placed) walls, shoving off of each and bouncing between them like a very gangly ping-pong ball. It wasn't too far a distance to the naked eye, but to someone actually trying to scale it, it was a different story-- her momentum had JUST about run out when she felt her fingers close around the rusty edge of the fire escape.]</sub>

YEAH! -- ... mph!

_{[Letting out a hoarse, barky laugh of triumph, Heather swung her legs and hauled herself onto the rickety contraption, chancing a glance behind her at the crystal that was pooling into the place she'd just been like molten lava. Cue a great big adrenaline-fueled grin.]}

HAH. You thought you had me, but NO. I am a wall-climbing CHAMPION.

You probably can't think, anyway. Because you're stupid. Blue is a STUPID color for lava to be. Stupid lava.

<sub>[And yes, she was giving it the finger. That really helps, Heather.]

[The giddiness faded after a second or two and then Heather hauled herself upright. Okay. Srs bsns time now. With a resounding clank-clank-clank, she made her way up the fire escape. As soon as her feet were on solid brick up there, she'd get her bearings. Could see a lot more from up there, anyway.]

[Time for some rooftop hopping. Anyone else up there?]</sub>

Comments

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

--?!

[He had been pretty sure he was going to be alone up here. It would have been damn near impossible for him to get to the fire escape if Kotai hadn't helped. And for that matter, if she had been a few inches shorter they'd both be in trouble.]

H-Heather?!

[foolishwren]

_{[And she sure hadn't expected to find HIM up here, either.]}

Otacon!

_{[She sounds surprised-- and she'd be happier to see him if it was under different circumstances. But given the current state of affairs.]}

Are you all right?

Do you know what's going on?

_{[Because... she sure didn't.]}

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

I-I'm fine. And I don't know what's going on butIhaven'tseenLiquidandI'mkindofworried.

[foolishwren]

_{[As he's assuring her of his fineness, she'd sort of scrambled over and was looking him up and down anyway, because-- ... yeah he's the kind of person who'd say he was fine even if he was about to topple over and die, probably.]}

No Liquid? Guh.... great...

_{[The only consoling thought she has in that regard is that Liquid can take care of himself, but she's not hugely confident in his reasoning skills. She remembers the night of the flood all too well.]}

Hopefully he's found somewhere high up.

_{[And then, a little dubiously...]}

... Are you sure you're all right?

[philanthrotaku.livejournal.com]

I-I'll live. I'm just worried about him. And Snake. And Rise. And...well, e-everyone.

[foolishwren]

Rise is okay, I talked to her like... well, not that long ago.

_{[She hadn't talked to Snake, though-- apart from that morning conversation the other week.]}

[Action... sorta?]

[defiantstand.livejournal.com]

[A cursory search through the town would reveal a figure off in the distance near the entrance to Route 32, tattered cape blowing in whatever wind that the laws of dramatics had chosen to bless him with.

From the looks of it, he seems to have somehow found his way onto the sections of the crystalline growth that have already hardened and now he seems to be waiting there.]

[IT'S EPIC, IT COUNTS. *bro-fist*]

[foolishwren]

_{[There's a pretty good view from up there, and Heather's not an unobservant person. She spots that fluttering cape and pauses in her run-- she's been leaping rooftops as best she can, trying to get closer to the edge of town.]}

..... huh?

_{[And that, really about sums up her thoughts on seeing some random dude way out there on the crystal.]}

Finally got an excuse to at least setup an encounter!

[defiantstand.livejournal.com]

[It's about at that moment that Kamina's wide-area broadcast (http://defiantstand.livejournal.com/4351.html) hits everyone's PokéGear. Seems whatever he's up to, he's looking for plenty of people to join in whatever adventure he's gearing up for now.]

WOOO! 'Bout time these two had a chance to at least interact. XD

[foolishwren]

_{[She gets that transmission! And hey-- why the hell not. Although getting out there could prove to be a problem... City full of rooftops or not, this'll be a tricky journey...]}

[Video]

[pillowichooseu.livejournal.com]

Heather? Where are you? I got to a roof, which was no easy feat have you seen Harry at all?

What is going on?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

_{[When the video blips on, Heather's looking shaky but more or less fine. She's out of breath though.]}

I'm on a roof-- kinda a little ways away from the edge of town. I don't have a clue what's going on, just that it's really freaky and--

_{[... And her voice cracks just a little.]}

I have no idea where Dad is.

I... I hoped he was with you...

[Video]

[pillowichooseu.livejournal.com]

I am too. I'm near Route 32 I think...

[There's a pause and his face is an open book, he's pretty worried to, but if anything, more sympathetic to Heather.]

I haven't seen him since Saturday.

...I'm sure he's fine. He's a tough one. [Have an awkward, reassuring smile.]

[Video]

[foolishwren]

_{[Yeah sorry James, but that's not too convincing. Squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth, Heather runs a hand over her face and through her hair.]}

Yeah... yeah I'm sure he is... _{he's gotta be.}

[Video]

[pillowichooseu.livejournal.com]

[Does he at least get points for trying?]

...I'll be on the look out for him. You'll be the first I contact if I hear anything. Just keep yourself safe. Please. [There was definitely a worried note in his tone. Almost as if begging.]

[Heather can you see how worried this man is? Look at that expression!]

[boldandresolute.livejournal.com]

[There is a Liquid running across a rooftop some distance away.]

[There is a gap of some fifteen or twenty feet between him and the next building.]

[Without losing a bit of his momentum, Liquid leapt up onto the ledge surrounding the building's edge, then launched himself into the air, twisting his body into a flip and somehow, possibly by flagrantly defying physics, had enough height and speed to clear the gap. He landed and let his knees buckle, dropping into a roll to absorb the impact and ended up back on his feet and running with no ill effects and no lost speed. Liquid had the kind of grace and body control that dancers could only dream of.]

[And by the wild grin on his face, he was enjoying the adrenaline rush a little too much.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Thus far, three of the people Heather had been worried about, she knows are safe. James is high on a roof somewhere, Rise is with her Onix, and Otacon... well, Heather stashed the poor nerd safely at the top of a building where hopefully he wouldn't get swept away by the crystal sea. That left a few others.]

[One of whom was... flipping from building to building like Spiderman or something.]

[Heather knows only one person who that could be.]</sub>

... LIQUID! HEY!

_{[omg liek wait uuuuppp. Heather was really in her element, but she couldn't go acrobat-ing all over the place-- her pace was a bit slower. Still, she started to make her way across the rooftops towards him, waving her arms.]}

[boldandresolute.livejournal.com]

[Liquid paused atop an air conditioning unit; the hot air rising up from it make his hair flutter and twist around his face in a manner so dramatic that it could have only been planned.]

[He saw her waving arms and waited for her to catch up.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[When Heather sees that, she can only groan under her breath and roll her eyes. God, what a drama queen. But she speeds up, puffing as she does so. Turned out two months being out of practice did take a little toll. But hey, at least she hasn't lost her touch.]

Wh-- Liquid. [Wheeze.] Been lookin' for you. [Well, keeping an eye out, anyway.]</sub>

[boldandresolute.livejournal.com]

[Of course he was, he's Liquid.]

[But Mister Drama Queen hopped down from the air conditioning unit to be on Heather's level again.]

Have you found Otacon yet? He's the kind to attract trouble.

[voice]

[forperfectstats.livejournal.com]

[Franziska saw Heather on the roof from the top floor window of the Pokemon Center. That was the woman she spoke to the other day, wasn't it? She might know something...]

...Ms. Mason? [Pick up the Pokegear at once and listen to her!] What is happening to the city!? I returned to the Pokemon Center for brief moment before heading out again, and suddenly the streets are filled with this... this crystallized waste!

[There's a slight hint of panic in her voice if you listen hard enough.]

I don't... How can this be moving so quickly!?

[Was the Pokemon Center going to be covered at this rate? Would she be able to get out!?]

[voice]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Ring ring ring, ring ring ring, phonecall! Phonecall!]

[Blinking, Heather slapped at her vest pockets for a moment or two when she heard Franziska's voice before she... y'know, remembered she'd shoved it into her pants pocket.]</sub>

Yeah? Hello? _{[It took her a moment to remember who it was, but-- hey that commanding tone was kinda familiar. ... Oh right! It was the uh. Karma chick.]}

I don't-- it's, I think it's some kinda Pokemon making this happen-- tune into those broadcasts the police are sending out, they ... um, kind of explain it...

_{[She looks out across the streets-- the crystal IS moving a hell of a lot more rapidly than it SHOULD. ... But hey, it wasn't exactly a natural phenomenon anyway, so... uh... who knows?]}

Where are you?

I'd advise getting somewhere high-- on a roof or something. Whatever you do, don't touch it... _{[It seemed to be safe once it hardened, but...]}

[voice]

[forperfectstats.livejournal.com]

A Pokemon? [What on earth were the police doing!? Shouldn't they be able to contain these Pokemon?]

I'm on the top floor of the Pokemon Center. I... don't know whether I'll be able to get out.

[voice]

[foolishwren]

_{[The Unown were just too badass for the VCPD. Not that Heather was particularly impressed with the police in this place to begin with...]}

Uhhh...

_{[Hm. The Pokemon Center was a little... small.]}

Are there uh-- any windows? Anything you can climb out on...?

_{[She looked over the shoulder and tried to spot the distinctive red roof of the Center.]}

[voice]

[forperfectstats.livejournal.com]

There's a window, yes. But you have to be joking to possibly suggest that I climb out of it.

Where would I go? I can't climb the walls...

[She's trying not to show it, but she's getting worried.]