[closed log] There's a Skitty on the other side of the country and she NEEDS to be rescued

[officerdown]

Who: Envy, Heather, Henry, Lust, Scar
Where: Goldenrod to Lavender and everything in between
When: Mid-September
Warnings: Scar is adjusting to no longer living in an apartheid state, so there will be some canon-typical discussion about that.
Summary: Henry and Scar need their Pokemon back. The found family is coming along with them.

Comments

[foolishwren]

It had been a life choice that her father had gently advised against, to be fair.

So before Scar elaborates, even the monotonous one-word response is enough to prompt a nostalgic chuckle on Heather's part. She might have even brought up her father's shared opinion on that front, just for fun-- but then he keeps going.

Heather's grin at the mental picture being painted is as bright as her Lanturn's little glowy angler-thing, and she pumps one fist in a show of enthusiasm and Unexpected Cross-Dimensional Dino Kid Solidarity (tm) as she turns in the water to face him.

"No. Way. Me too! Which kind? Were you a Brontosaurus kid?"

Heather was not a Brontosaurus kid. You can probably guess what kind of kid she was.

[officerdown]

Scar stands still in the shallows for a moment, brows rising at Heather's show of enthusiasm. Just as quickly, he's frowning again.

"I haven't the faintest clue." In his defense, it's much harder to become a full-blown Dinosaur Kid when your books all come from the early 20'th century. "It was tall. It ate leaves."

[foolishwren]

"Sounds close enough."

And, weirdly fitting?

He's looking serious again, so she'll refrain from being too obnoxious about it, but... truly, the mental image of SCAR as a chubby toddler determinedly shoveling handfuls of sand into his mouth is pretty much making her whole day. Not to mention, it's a lot more endearing than Heather's own Dino Kid identity, which to probably nobody's surprise had mostly been an excuse to bite other children and roar.

"I'm sure your childhood self would be happy to know that you got the 'tall' part accomplished."

POSSIBLY ALSO THE 'EATS LEAVES' PART?

[officerdown]

What an odd way to put it. He hasn't thought of himself being so young in such a long time that it almost feels like the first time remembering it. The thought had simply risen like a bubble, unprompted.

He hasn't actively thought about being tall, either, which is too abstract for his mind to fully wrap around, right now.

A great many things have been different. Feel different. Louder, brighter, in clearer definition.

"I am also known to eat a leaf."

[foolishwren]

It's weird isn't it, Scar? When you've been through enough of something, childhood feels like a completely different lifetime... even without working literal death into the mix.

Scar has surprised Heather several times already in this conversation, but this statement is what finally gets open, full-throated laughter.

Because YOU KNOW WHAT? HELL YEAH YOU ARE KNOWN TO EAT A LEAF. YOU'RE ALL RIGHT, SCAR.

"Well, there you go! That's more than some people can claim!"

She has definitely witnessed Henry subsist entirely on cheese doodles for a 48-hour period at least once.

She may or may not have also subsisted on cheese doodles for a 48-hour period at least once. Probably the same one.

[officerdown]

Scar makes a pensive rumble in agreement.

A beat.

The pleasant trickle of the stream.

Then, a namedrop.

"Henry."

The statement about his friend isn't judgemental in the same way he hadn't thought his comment about leaves to be particularly funny. He lets Heather have her fun, though.

[foolishwren]

Sorry Scar, that one's funny too. Heather fends off a playful splash from her Lanturn as the big fish swooshes past her in the water, laughing.

"Bang in one."

BECAUSE YEAH. HONESTLY. WHO ELSE WOULD SHE BE TALKING ABOUT.

"He gives off malnourished vibes, doesn't he."

[officerdown]

Silence reigns for two seconds too long.

The river continues its blurbling.

"What are vibes?"

[foolishwren]

A brief puzzled glance is all that question gets at first-- but Heather is rapidly cottoning onto Scar's specific brand of being out of the loop.

And she knows exactly how to explain this.

"You know how if you walk into a room where Lust is, and she's mad about something, you can just feel it?"

[officerdown]

"Wet cat," he says sagely, folding his arms. That particular sixth sense is older than his time in this world.

Yes, he can conclude to himself with this descriptor. Henry does give off malnourished vibes. Scar wonders, briefly, if he would ever consider coming to the gym with him...

[foolishwren]

That particular comparison wouldn't have occurred to Heather on its own, but now that he's said it, it's VERY apt.

"Wet cat," she agrees. "And that's what vibes are."

[officerdown]

Scar's eyes turn to his Zangoose, who is curled into a ball a very safe distance from the shallow stream.

Hm.

"Thank you." Probably not necessary, but earnest nonetheless. When Scar does manage to manners, he manners like he means it.

Hm!

[foolishwren]

She bends down with cupped hands to gather up some face-splashing fuel, because Dayglo reminded her that cool water feels good all around and not just ankle-down.

"No problem."

She's kind of used to having to back up and explain whenever she drops weird modern slang that people from other worlds don't get.

And it's certainly a more normal kind of thing to have to explain than some of the stuff she's found herself walking the Homunculi through.

[officerdown]

"Perhaps Henry would appreciate my protein supplement..." Scar wondered out loud, partially to himself, partially because he does wonder, a bit. He had been so determined to keep up that entire first week, even if the task had been proven not reasonably possible.

"...Not to suggest it will solve his leaf problem."

[foolishwren]

Heather straightens back up only when her head is thoroughly soaked.

"I mean, you could offer it."

She's honestly not sure how many taste buds he has left, after all the cigarettes. Which the poor guy has to wean himself off of. AGAIN.

"Not sure he'd go for it, but no harm in trying."

A pause.

"Just don't offer him any chocolate milk. ... It probably wouldn't ever come up, but in case it does, don't."

[officerdown]

"Lust would be far more likely to tread in that territory."

She had even bought the chocolate protein powder the one time he had left all of the groceries to her devices-- given him some monologue about how unpleasant his usual brand is, how this will make it enjoyable.

"Is the chocolate aversion a private matter?"

[foolishwren]

"The specifics, I guess, maybe? But he'd probably tell you if you asked, as long as it's not... y'know, sprung on him."

HEATHER had found out the hard way! By assuming Henry would enjoy chocolate milk with his fast food meal one nice day in Ecruteak.

"But yeah, uh, bad associations. We all got at least a few weirdly-specific ones."

RELATABLE, AMIRITE?

[officerdown]

What, Heather, like a flaming horse?

Like a really big flaming horse?

Better make it hurt!

Better kill me in one shot!!

But Scar isn't the type to think along those lines, lucky as Heather and Envy and Lust are to be afforded a man with a long memory and drive only to put it into practice when a matter of deep-seated principle is at hand.

Shrimpy and Shrimpy's Girlfriend are just submitted to the mortifying ordeal of knowing the enigma's name, instead.

All Scar offers is a nod.