route_1065 | Those of you who gather here bear wounds that never healed...

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Those of you who gather here bear wounds that never healed...

Who: Heather Mason, James Sunderland, and ~*~A MYSTERIOUS GUEST STAR~*~
Where: Somewhere on Route 31
When: Sunday, August 1st, mid-afternoon.
Summary: Refusing to ditch her fellow hell-town bro, Heather left Violet City a few days ago to backtrack and help a certain James make his way to said purple-hued city without getting chased up a tree by Rattatas. After a couple days travel on both their parts, they finally meet halfway-- ... buuut Heather's going to get something she's not quite expecting.
Rating: G. PG if Heather lets her mouth get the better of her.
Log:
Even under the cover of forest, the thick air was painted yellow and the sun beat down relentlessly. The underbrush was dry and sharp and all around, hidden bug Pokemon whirred and buzzed their way through the hot summer day. It was a day that could suck the energy right out of you if you weren't careful, which was probably why there were not many wild Pokemon in her way as she tromped through the raspy weeds that coated the forest floor and watched the faint trail in the grass ahead of her as Arty the ex-raccoon-thing-now-deathweasel wound her way sinuously through the brush.

Heather Mason was a girl on a mission, and despite the hotness, the stickiness, and the stingy cuts from ankle to knee, courtesy of sticker-bushes and of the fact that it was way too hot out for her to want to wear anything longer than her skirt, she was making darned good progress if she did say so herself! Her bag was jauntily slung over one bare shoulder-- god forbid she wear her vest on a day this hot, it was sleeveless shirt only or death by heatstroke-- and there was a bounce in her step.

The calls had been made, despite some technical difficulties in the form of Cujo running away with Heather's Pokegear. A rendezvous point had been set. Heather had even made a decent estimate of the time it would take her to get there from here, using the handy-dandy map function on the 'Gear, which, it turned out, was a helluvalot more convenient than hauling real ones in the form of huge crumpled mounds of complicatingly-folded paper. And to think that when she'd first arrived in Johto, she'd been pining for some good, old-fashioned maps.

Needless to say, the pieces were in place, the clearing (one she had camped in herself when she'd been on her way to Violet on her own) was right ahead, and Heather couldn't have asked for an easier meet-up. Yes sir, everything was going just as planned. She'd meet up with James, they'd make it back to Violet in a timely manner, nothing would go crazy, and everything would be juuuuust chill.

It was NEVER that easy.

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"Harry Mason."

In person this Heather seemed a lot better then he thought. She knew a proper handshake and greetings as far as he could tell. Since a handshake is supposed to tell a lot about a person. I figure Harry would have taught her about it.

Harry then found his way over to a nice shaded spot to sit down on and rest his legs. He hoped he still had some water bottles left.

It took every ounce of resolve Heather had not to reply 'I know' to the introduction.

Instead she just smiled stiffly and nodded.

She lingered on the handshake, though. It was true, it did say a lot about a person-- but in this case, Heather wasn't shaking like she often did, which was with one of those painfully-tight, 'what'll ya give me if I stop?' tomboy grips she'd used ever since she'd realized that people made funny faces when a cute little girl crushed their fingers. Instead it was careful-- almost like she was worried she'd BREAK the hand she was shaking.

She wasn't, but there was still a lot going through her head.

These were the hands that had held hers when she crossed streets, had turned the pages of well-worn storybooks on nights before bed, had made clawy 'gonna getchu!' motions when they'd played.

Or... well, they were the hands that would.

Then she broke the spell by letting go abruptly with another shrug.

"We can wait 'till it cools off a bit before we keep walking."

Turning, she headed back over to her own spot and nudged her bag and its precious contents further into the shade. She didn't want that egg to wind up cooked alive in the direct sunlight. Then, looking over her shoulder at the more-dejected of the two men, she jerked her thumb over to some trees.

"James, do you have a minute? We gotta talk."

James was just about to pop a squat where he had deemed a great place when he had heard Heather say his name. He knew she was going to talk to him about this, he just didn't think so soon. While he felt bad and thought he deserved any yelling she had to give him, he didn't exactly want to endure that yet.

But then again, she probably didn't want to endure traveling with her father either.

Giving her an unsure and somewhat frightened look, he nodded and made his way over to where she had designated this talk should take place. He looked like a kid who was about to get a lecture from his parent after being caught playing with a ball inside and breaking a lamp. Dejected, and kinda of scared.

He didn't think Heather was going to, you know, physically assault him or something, but that wasn't what he was worried about. He was worried about what she'd say. He already felt like an ant for realizing what he had done, but surely she'd be more than able to squish him.

He remained silent, he wasn't going to ask what she wanted to talk about, he wasn't going to play dumb. He'd let her say her what she had to say and not argue with it at all.

Harry had been digging through his bag looking for some bottled water trying to keep out of things that weren't his business- namely whatever was going on between Heather and James. James had said they were friends but whatever was going on it didn't seem like it. He didn't know though and that was about as far as he wanted to think of it seeing he knew really nothing about this Heather and very little about James.

Poor James.

He hadn't lost his friend but it was hard to blame him for thinking that he had.

Heather turned and tromped off into the underbrush, without looking over her shoulder to make sure James was in tow. She didn't want there to be any chance of Harry overhearing what she was going to say-- which made her feel even worse.

Unsurprisingly, she hadn't exactly told all and sundry about her little family-related discovery, but before she'd left, she had talked to Otacon about it. He'd told her-- gently, of course-- to take advantage of this opportunity. And she had taken it to heart even if she didn't quite intend to follow it to the letter. It was just... she hadn't expected said opportunity to leap up and smack her in the face without any kind of warning.

Once she judged she was a safe distance from the clearing, she turned around. Her arms were folded, shoulders hunched, and fingers clenched tightly around her upper arms. It was a posture that was just as uncomfortable as it was angry. And she got right to the point.

"Why the hell didn't you warn me?!"

Meanwhile, the limp, stripey fur scarf that had been sprawled in the weeds finally allowed its curiosity to get the better of it. Arty lifted her head at the sounds of backpack-digging and homed in on Harry, rolling to her feet and slinking over to him.

Have a curious, hungry Furret trying to put its front paws on your knee, Harry.

James did a perfect reenactment of a kicked puppy. He flinched when her voice rose and he downcast his gaze to the grass. He really didn't have a respond, or an excuse. There wasn't one. He should have warned her, but he didn't.

"I-I... I didn't think about it, I guess..."

That really wasn't a good enough reason, but it was the truth. He hadn't thought about it when he recruited Harry to join him, he hadn't really thought about it when he called her. In his mind at that moment, Harry was just another confused visitor that wasn't of this world and he sort of let it slip that he was the father of Heather. The one that didn't even know who she was...

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you, I'm sorry..." All he could do was apologize, but he felt that really wasn't enough.

Sorry Arty, your cute Furret charms will have no effect on Harry so no food for you. Harry wasn't really too welcoming of pokemon still. He was ok with his own to an extent but someone else's? Not really. Which was kinda silly seeing how long he had been working in a pokemon center. He wasn't mean enough to shoo Arty away though. He just raised an eyebrow to it.

It really wasn't enough, and by nature, Heather wanted to shout him into the ground for it. Even Douglas would have been a little more sensitive than to just NOT WARN HER about something like this, and he was notoriously clueless when it came to certain subjects along those lines.

But ... part of her knew better. And thankfully, that was the part of her that was in-charge.

Folding her arms even tighter, her own expression turned a shade of sullen to match James even on a bad day, and when she spoke, her voice was low and almost childishly resentful. "... Well... I wish you did."

... Okay, MOSTLY in-charge. The truth was that she flat-out didn't know how to deal with this, and it was enough to bring out her immature side. But at least she knew that getting overly pissy with James wasn't the solution. Besides... even though she was still trying pretty hard, it was... really hard to stay angry at that kicked-puppy posture. It made her feel bad and she wasn't sure she liked this whole notion of feeling bad for her own anger.

Arty was a cutie patootie and she knew it, but this man was seemingly impervious! D:< Wtf! Maybe if she did the big eyes and the head-tilt....

"Me too."

James was regretting not telling her, but there wasn't anything he could do about it now. Except keep up that display of utter defeat and repeat he was sorry about a million times. Though, he felt that would just annoy her than show how much he regretted doing what he had. Or more so, not doing what he should have.

He honestly had nothing else to say, so he decided to just stand there and wait. Let her say what she needed to in order to feel better, yell at him, call him names, whatever. Even if she didn't plan on doing it, he felt the least he could do was give her the opportunity.

Nope not even that would get you anything from Harry, Arty! At least Harry had figured that the ferret looking thing wanted something. It had only come over when he was going through his backpack hmmm. Let's see if this was actually true though. Like if Harry were to pull out one of those trail bar things.

He was watching you arty, he was watchinggggg.

She wanted to. She really, really did. Yelling was just sort of Heather's default. But better make a note of this, James; she valued their tentative little friendship enough that she wouldn't. Instead she let out a looooong sigh, running her hands up over her face and through her sweaty hair. She was sailing without a map here.

"... You didn't tell him anything about... me, did you?"

Harry was quite a bright man, and his hypothesis was absolutely correct. As soon as the crinkly foil wrapper so much as started to glint in the sunlight, Arty's ears stood up and her whiskers quivered. With enormous eyes, she started to sort of-- ... well, stretch her neck towards his hand. She was, essentially, a slinky encased in fur, so this was quite a feat to watch, but in the end it was the same as any other animal with terrible table manners.

She wanted it.

She wanted it oh so very much and Harry why don't you just give it to her look at how stretchy her neck is, can't you see she needs it?

Edited 2010-08-06 06:12 (UTC)

James was, to put it frank, surprised that she didn't take that opportunity, from what he had gathered from the few weeks of knowing the shorter blond, she could very easily tear anyone a new one. It wasn't as if she restrained herself with anything she had to say, so why wasn't she yelling? Why wasn't she treating him like the dirt beneath her shoes? it wasn't as if she didn't have the right.

Deciding not to question it, he shook his head to her question.

"I didn't mention anything about you except that you were a frie--someone I knew."

Oh, Harry really had guessed right about that Furret. The feat of it stretching it's neck to get closer to the food was worth an amused smile, but no, no and nope. Arty wasn't getting any of it.

They still had a few days travel left to Violet at least and Harry wanted to keep the food he had for that purpose. He wasn't going to waste it on some goggly eyed pokemon. Besides James was with them, who knew how long the food would last.

He kept the trail bar just out of reach for the pokemon till he eventually just held it up to open it, and then take a bite of it himself. None for Arty. Nope.

What Heather needed was time to cool off. Time to get get her head back in the game and deal with this whole thing as if she'd been planning to from moment one. But there wasn't time now-- she'd been on her own for days but now she had COMPANY and disappearing into the wilderness for a few hours right after meeting up with them would only make her seem fishier. _{Of course, if James had given her a heads-up ahead of time...}

"Okay... hng, I don't know how to-- ... look, just... y'know. Play along and... and... I don't know." She groaned and rubbed her temples, eyes shut. Still no yelling. Was James off scott-free? ... Well, not quite. As Heather turned to head back to the clearing, she gave him a shove to the shoulder. "That's for being a moron."

And that, luckily for James, was it. Even if Heather was pissed, she didn't want to take it out on the only traveling group member that she had the luxury of actually confiding the truth in.

Dear lord, could those eyes get any BIGGER?

As Harry lifted the bar to his mouth, Arty let out a desperate chitter and finally reached up with her stubby little paws in an attempt to flat-out TAKE it from him.

Maybe, they are pokemon. Who knows what they can do besides big puppy dog eyes for food.

If Harry hadn't of been watching this entire time, his trail bar could have been gone by now. He was expecting this though so instead he scooted back a bit and went to sitting on his knees to be a bit higher from the ground. Not that it was much of a difference to a Furret of all things, but it was a ground to let him stand up all the way if he was going to.

"You won't get anything if you try to take it that way."

Not that Harry was going to give it anything in the first place..... nope it's cuteness surely wasn't getting to him. Not at all. He wasn't thinking of maybe breaking off a tiny bit for it if it hadn't of flat out tried to take it from him. Mhmm.

There was absolutely no resistance when she shoved his shoulder, other than his body weight. If Heather wanted to straight up hit him, he'd of allowed it. Though it seemed that he was fortunate enough she wasn't going to do that. Anything she said, he had just nodded and agreed with, it was all he felt he could do.

James waited a few moments before following her silently, sulking as he did so. Once back with Harry, the furret and Heather, he made his way to that patch of grass he scoped out before and took a seat. He was trying his hardest not to look upset, but James was as good at hiding his emotions as he was at being assertive. Which, for those who didn't know James, he was the least assertive person ever. He might as well staple a doormat to his back, or at least get "Welcome" tattooed across his chest.

You bet that trail bar would have been gone. Arty wasn't quite bold enough to actually pick a fight with a person, but theft? Oh, you bet. She'd have had that bar out of Harry's hands and up a tree quicker than you can say 'GODDAMN ANIMAL'. But unfortunately for her, her opponent was the observant sort and he pretty much had her number here. His chiding was met with an angry chitter in response as she tried to stretch up further to get it.

"... Arty, the hell? Leave him alone!"

Conveniently-timed, Heather happened to step back through the trees just in time to notice her poorly-behaved animate scarf harassing her father and she clapped her hands sharply.

It did the trick-- the Furret sent Harry one last reproachful glare before slinking off into the underbrush, no doubt concocting plans to invade the mean nasty non-generous brown-headed man's backpack as soon as he wasn't paying attention.

Poor James's dejection went unnoticed for the moment-- Heather was too wrapped up in her own stupid problems to notice just how upset her friend was over it all. If she had, she might have started to wisen up a bit. This is what happens when you just assume everyone can take what you dish out, Heather. Hurt feelings. Poor guy.

It's a good thing that Harry was observant! He can be pretty clueless sure, but it was pretty obvious with what Arty was doing there. Good thing that the both of them came back though, any more and who knows what would of happened between Harry and Arty.

With the Furret leaving him alone Harry was free to get comfy again in sitting. He was curious what happened though, James certainly wasn't looking too hot.

"Welcome back.... Did something happen?"

James had glanced at Harry when he welcomed them back, but instead of answering he just silently looked away. He couldn't explain it if he tried. He wasn't the best at fabricating stories and if he tried to, he'd just make Heather even angrier. Because he had a feeling he'd slip, or make Harry seem like he was unwanted on Heather's part.

Deciding he'd find someway to distract himself, he fished around in his backpack and got out his own trail bar. It was pretty surprising, through this trip James had been more interested in moving forward than stopping and eating, so he hadn't eaten nearly as much as he would have, had he been traveling alone. But now? Now that they have stopped? He was freaking starving. So this trail bar was probably going to be the first of many.

Heather just plain wasn't used to people not being able to handle her attitude. Especially not big lugs like James. She'd figure it out eventually, and she'd feel like a jerk.

"Nothin', just had to talk about something real quick."

Aka 'I totally just bitched him out and made him feel bad'.

"Anyway..." She gestured back in the direction she'd come, through the shimmering heatwaves. "It's pretty d- ... hot, so if you guys wanna rest for awhile, we can wait till evening to move. ... Hopefully it'll cool down."

Part of her just wanted to... GO, heat be damned. Anything to keep her mind from focusing itself fully on the situation right in front of her. But... yeah. Unless they wanted to just be baked alive, that... really wasn't the best option.

Well whatever happened, Harry wasn't going to find out. Which probably meant that it was none of his business. If it had been James probably would be talking now instead of stuffing his face with trail bars.

Yeah that heat was no joke though. As much as Harry was ready to get back to a town, he knew that if they kept pushing through the heat one of them might as well get heat stroke or something. He didn't know Heather personally but he was assuming this heat was too much for all of them.

Oh and nice save there on the cursing Heather.

"That's fine. It's way too hot outside to be hiking anywhere."

Not that they had much of a choice, it was nice when they left Cherrygrove, they had no clue it was going to get like this halfway to the next town.

James offered no opinion to this matter. If they were going to get up and go eventually, he'd follow, but if they were to stay here; then he'd stay put. For the most part, he wasn't even paying attention to them, just munching away on his trail bar.

Well he was, until his caterpie decided now would be a good time to release itself from it's ball and crawl up James' arm and rub up against his face. This of course resulted in a flailing, scrambling James trying to get up and get away from the damn thing. James' initial thought when the caterpillar pokemon touched him was something like: "skSJFHSKJFskjckgdfjhksdjhvksjhdvk!"

It only resulted in James tripping over himself and landing on his stomach, with the caterpie still on him 'pree'ing softly as it happily cuddled its master. James had a look of complete horror on his face as he tried once again to get up and knock the caterpie off him, this time though it worked. The caterpie landed on the soft grass and James was suddenly a good ten feet from it. Looking at the poor thing as if it was some sort of monstrosity. The caterpie, obviously, didn't understand what the matter was, so instead of staying put, it started to make it's way back towards James.

Who was currently contemplating trying to climb up a tree. The thought never occurred to him to maybe use its pokeball, but this was James. Fast thinking in desperate situations wasn't exactly his forte. Unless of course, he was trying to find his wife.

"Stay over there! I don't want you touching me!"

"Yeah, can't argue with you, there."

As much as Heather sort of wanted to press onwards, she wasn't sure how much more direct sunlight she could take without turning into a lobster.

She glanced off into the brush for her Pokemon, but it would appear that Arty was too sulky to return just yet. So Heather started to make for her previous spot when--

SUDDEN DISTRAUGHT JAMES.

Heather startled at the commotion, hunching her shoulders and jerking her head around to see what was the matter. ... Only to be forced to muffle a snort. Not that she found it funny-- ... okay, she totally found it funny. But gosh James, it's a cute little caterpillar!

"... Jeez, it's just a bug."

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Those of you who gather here bear wounds that never healed...

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dont mind me just sitting over here 8I <3

GO SIT IN THE CORNER HARRY. GOD.

NO ONE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU, HARRY.

sob I'll just eat this pie and ice cream over here then

WHOA WAIT A SECOND, HOLD UP. ... P-pie and ice cream? ;-;

WAIT. You didn't mention that pie and ice cream! FFF D; SHAREEEE

too late for the both of you! It's all gone now. C|

........ 8c but DAD

8'I you are a cruel cruel man, Mr. Mason.

Hey, not my fault you walked away.

ANGRY GIRL NOISE

AW HELL NAW GURL.

-Is deaf now- ;;

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Those of you who gather here bear wounds that never healed...

no subject

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dont mind me just sitting over here 8I <3

GO SIT IN THE CORNER HARRY. GOD.

NO ONE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU, HARRY.

sob I'll just eat this pie and ice cream over here then

WHOA WAIT A SECOND, HOLD UP. ... P-pie and ice cream? ;-;

WAIT. You didn't mention that pie and ice cream! FFF D; SHAREEEE

too late for the both of you! It's all gone now. C|

........ 8c but DAD

8'I you are a cruel cruel man, Mr. Mason.

Hey, not my fault you walked away.

*ANGRY GIRL NOISE*

AW HELL NAW GURL.

-Is deaf now- ;;

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ANGRY GIRL NOISE