Video(ish)-- Ecruteak Inn, Birthday Bash!

[brokencode]

[The moment the video clicked on, Angel let out a sigh. A small hand lifted, pinching the bridge of her nose, before lowering once more, settling onto the back of a new face-- a Glameow. Finally, she offered the device a thin smile.]

I had a plan to offer a sentimental message about growing older, but it seems I was preempted. [She laughed, but it came without humor.] What you heard was correct, today is my birthday.

[A pair of feelers announced the approach of 'Dora, the sylveon, who wrapped his appendages around her in a gesture of comfort.]

It also would appear that I've been here six months now. It's a lot to consider -- celebrating my first birthday on my own, six months after I broke free from my father. To be honest, it's the first time I've recognized it in almost a decade.

It's... a big deal.

[One final sigh, before a smile broke through. It was perhaps a little sad, but still genuine.]

My door will be open today, for anyone who might want to stop by. You can meet my new friend, Princess Smoosherella. [The cat mewled a greeting.] We can all get ice cream together!

[[Right here's the catch-all I've been promising! Feel free to put anything you need in here, in-person or otherwise! Angel's still at the Ecruteak in for a few days longer.]]

Comments

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Birthdays have never been a particularly big cause for celebration to Heather-- for a few reasons, really.]

[But she's always been more than happy to make a big deal about other peoples' birthdays!]

[THIS video, however, caught her attention for other reasons...]</sub>

... Broke free?

Sounds like you didn't come from the best of places, huh.

[brokencode]

[What, Heather, did you not like the whole birthing/vomiting up God thing?]

[Angel regarded the blond in the video quietly, expression clearly distraught. As public as she had been about the whole affair, it was surprising that some people still weren't aware of her relationship with her father and where she had come from. Not that she blamed the woman for not knowing. Not everyone could monitor the network at all times.]


Not even slightly. [Despite the mood, despite the subject, Angel managed a tight and unamused smirk.]

[foolishwren]

_{[Heather honestly hasn't been keeping track of what other people are up to on the network-- she's sort of had enough upsetting bullshit going on in her own life to worry about without snooping on the lives of strangers. And she's pretty sure she's never talked to this girl before.]}

That sucks.

I'm sorry.

<sub>[The condolence sounds genuine... and tired.]

[If there's one thing she knows intimately, it's that fighting your way out from terrible roots is a long and difficult process. And that roots have a nasty tendency to keep growing in your direction even after you thought you'd cut them back.]</sub>

This place is the first taste of freedom for a lot of people, I think.

For all its weirdness, it's... good for that.

[brokencode]

It's... something I've gotten used to.

[That much had been easy to do, in the face of the lives she had led. There was no changing her old life, nor was there any going back to it. The final chapter in that book had been written -- the only thing that awaited her there was the embrace of oblivion. Here, she didn't have to be as afraid. The menace that had destroyed her back home continued to exist here, but he had no power.]


[Her death and its circumstances continued to haunt the young woman, but it was almost hard to resent the actual act. If not for that, she wouldn't have been free. If she hadn't have been freed, she wouldn't have wound up here.]

[And Angel had everything she could have wanted in this world.]

I've heard many people wish to go home. I suppose I can understand the sentiment but... without any home to go back to, it can make it hard to sympathize. I would take an eternity here, rather than one day back home.

[foolishwren]

Yeah, I feel you.

I've known a lot of people who were really champing at the bit to go home.

It can be... kinda hard not to take it personally, when you want nothing more than to just stay here forever and everybody else keeps talking about how much they wanna leave.

_{[Heather's been bitter about this for YEARS finally someone who understands]}

[brokencode]

It is like I said, I understand what they are feeling. If there was someone, something for me to get back to, then surely I would feel differently. I simply do not.

I never knew home until I was here. It's not something I would ever want to say goodbye to.

Some of my friends say that it is a natural process, something that comes one day whether we like it or not. It's like death, in that sense. But since I was never afraid of death, does that mean I'm allowed to place that fear here?

[Angel fell quiet, the silence stretching on for a good few moments. Then she broke it with a quiet laugh.]

I'm sorry. This must be such an odd conversation.

[foolishwren]

--Oh, jeez, no, it's fine.

I've had way weirder.

_{[Both here AND in her own world.]}

And besides, I'm pretty much in the same... situation you're describing.

Nothing left for me at home, and here I've honestly gotten more than I ever could've hoped for back there, so... yeah.

I understand.

[brokencode]

I am not sure if I should apologize, or say that I am glad. [She scratched at the back of her neck, looking altogether sheepish.] Leading a life like that is... I don't think anyone should have to suffer such a thing, even if people do.

But it is good that you found something, many somethings, here in this world.

[foolishwren]

_{[No judgment from Heather on this matter, that's for sure.]}

No apologies necessary.

Sounds like you're in the same boat, after all.

I hope you get to stay here as long as I have.

[brokencode]

Thank you, then?

[Angel offered both gear and girl beyond it a tired smile.]

Just how long have you been here?

[foolishwren]

Goin' on seven years now.

So, y'know, awhile.

_{[It's something she's pretty damn proud of... even if she knows it's up to the fickle forces of the universe.]}

And I'll be staying another seven years after that if I have anything to say about it!

[brokencode]

Seven years.

[There was a note of incredulity in Angel's voice, but it was also interspersed with hope, as well. Six months had been a blessing in the eyes of the siren. Seven years was almost unfathomable.]

[And yet...]

I hope we can get to know each other more over those seven years. And even more after that.

[foolishwren]

_{[She won't claim it's common for someone to stay that long, but it sure is a possibility. And as far as she's concerned, nobody deserves this place more than those who had terrible lives back home.]}

Likewise.

I'm Heather, by the way.

Heather Mason.

[brokencode]

Angel. [It was hard to hide the smile working its way over her lips. She was always a simple woman who loved the more mundane things in life. That happened to include making friends, especially ones that she seemed to share an experience with.]

[Granted, it was unfortunate to know that, at least by the way Heather was speaking, there was someone else who had experienced misfortune back home.]

It's wonderful to meet you, my friend.

[foolishwren]

_{[Fortunately, or... well, unfortunately, Heather is probably far from the only other person Angel will meet with such bad luck in common. If there's one thing Heather's picked up in her years here... it's that the place seems to, for better or for worse, pick up people who could really benefit from a new life apart from their old world.]}

Likewise-- hah, again.

Angel's one heck of a cool name.

You know, I knew someone who thought this place was Paradise and that the Pokemon were angels. Kind of weird, huh? But after awhile, I can sort of see why.

[brokencode]

[It was unfortunate, but true, and Angel already knew it. Many of her friends had come from, if not similar situations then at least similar worlds. The universe, or perhaps universes, were cruel in that way.]

[But at least there was, as Heather's former companion had implied, one paradise out there.]

It's funny but... I thought I was in heaven when I first woke up here.

[Of course, that was mostly because she had died to get here but... details.]

[foolishwren]

It's kinda hard to blame people for thinking that.

I mean... some folks do come here after they die. I've known a ton like that.

And compared to a lot of places, I mean...

_{[She doesn't think this is Paradise and never has. But it's sure better than the world she came from.]}

[brokencode]

[Angel thought it best not to bring up the fact that she was one of those. Heather had already seemed affected enough by their conversation -- it was best not to make it any worse.]

Those were my thoughts. It is at least close enough to the concept of both heaven and paradise, and certainly far enough away from anything I have ever known.

[foolishwren]

_{[YEAH THAT COULD MAKE IT A LITTLE AWKWARD. Honestly, Heather should probably know better by now than to assume anyone she's talking to isn't dead where they come from.]}

Yeah.

It's... let's just say I was kind of a mess when I got here. Like, holding it together, but still not in great shape, you know?

And it was a wild ride, doing all that adjusting after the fact... but I did, and thinking about where I was when I got here and where I am now...

This place is just good for people.

And I guess that kind of makes it like Heaven in a way.