86. [Video/Action for Ecruteak] Christmas morning.

[foolishwren]

[ACTION]

[You know what makes a good alarm clock on Christmas morning? ... Besides small children? ... DOGS.]

[There was once a time when a Christmas with the Masons involved Heather using her father's bed as a trampoline. But by this point, she's more interested in sleeping in. You know, in general. But that's hard to do with Pokemon around.]Ugh

Comments

[video]

[quickattackjack]

[Guess who's been up since the ass-crack of dawn and isn't the least bit tired?]

[THIS GUY.]

Merry Christmas, Heather! I hope Sandyclaws has been good to you!

[video]

[foolishwren]

[She grins. They don't have a Christmas tree (there's not... exactly much room in that cramped little hotel room) but there had been quite a few mailed presents stacked outside the door.]

I think he was pretty good to me, yeah.

Honestly, I'm surprised.

I was expectin' a pile of coal.

[video]

[quickattackjack]

Haa! You? Coal?

[Jack shakes his head. Heather doesn't need flammable things. He's got a feeling.]

Has my package arrived? It's not very big, I hope the mail didn't lose it.

[The mail wasn't reliable as Santa. 8I FACT.]

I received yours!

[He holds it up like an excited little kid and tears the wrapper off right then and there. And stares at it.]

[8D 8D 8I the fuck is it. Santa vs the whats.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

It's upstairs in the room, hang on-- [CLIMBIN' STAIRS. If he's gonna open hers on camera, she'll go ahead and open his!]

[She does pause by the room's door to savor his expression, though.]

[GRIN.]

D'ya like it?

[action]

[blacklodged]

[Also hanging out in the snow and nice weather today is one (1) FBI agent with a sort of mixed contemplative expression, but he's very quick to offer happy grins to anyone and anything because Christmas!]

[And that's how he'll greet Heather when he spots her, after first throwing a snowball for Tricia so she'll be busy for a minute or two trying to find it amongst, you know, all the snow. (Hahahaha.)]

Heather! Merry christmas.

[action]

[foolishwren]

[TROMPING THROUGH THE SNOOOOW, ON A .... NO-HORSE... SET OF BOOTS...]

[Oh! Oh hey!]

[Heather looks over her shoulder, spotting the FBI agent and grinning. Holiday cheer's sort of blotted out the uneasiness they had both shared over their amnesia-weekends' memories for the moment, at least for her.]

Hey!

[She hurries in his direction-- she'd actually been looking for him.]

[action]

[blacklodged]

[Yeah, he doesn't feel all too uneasy about that right now either. It's hard to with the sun shining and the snow sparkling and the Christmas cheer and all that stuff.]

[He's just ... thoughtful, and perhaps a little worried, but he happily abandons it in favour of this meeting. He's really gotten quite fond of her.]

Hey yourself. How's the holidays treating you so far?

[action]

[foolishwren]

[Talk about an unlikely friendship.]

[She jogs up to him, puffing, and briefly sags a little, one hand on her knee. The other is, quite mysteriously, behind her back.]

Oh, pretty good, pretty good!

[Then she straightens up, reaches into her pocket, and pulls out... a wrapped ice cream sandwich. And holds it out to him, straight-faced.]

Merry Christmas.

[action]

[no_ufo_ending]

[Henry had been minding his OWN DAMN BUSINESS in dream-land but then there was a huge excited orange LUMP on him. He squawks and fights at Cujo blindly, arms still restricted in his sleeping bag.]

Heather! Get him off! He's eating me!

[action]

[foolishwren]

[Setting the flashlight aside, Heather grins and leans out of bed, planting a hand against the floor so that she can slide out of the blankets. Because getting out of bed like a normal person is for lamers.]

All right, Cujo, leave 'm alone.

[She reaches over to headlock the squirming dog and sort of haul him off of the photographer's sleeping bag.]

You owe me.

[action]

[no_ufo_ending]

[Henry sits up and X(-faces at the girl and her firedog beast for a moment before grunting.]

Whatever. Sure.

[And then he flops back down and pulls the flap back over his head.]

[action]

[foolishwren]

[And Heather reaches over and pulls it right back off of him.]

NOPE.

Nuh-uh. You're not allowed to sleep in on Christmas day.

[video]

[subvertio]

Whatever you used worked well enough. [He barely gets the gift giving holiday, but here is Vanitas, holding up that COMMON SENSE jar and pointing it upside down over the screen of his gear.

Here Heather, seems like you need some of this for that hyperactive dog you tried to strap a bag onto. The show was worth the popcorn he had this morning for breakfast, at least.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

[A blink, and then a glance down at the camera.]

Oh hey! It got there.

[Beam. And no, she's not going to address the Great Cujo Bag Chase. That was a perfectly reasonable action on her part.]

[video]

[subvertio]

Yeah. Is it working? [He'll give that jar a little shake again, his amused expression growing a touch. No need to comment, after all.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

Oh, I already know it works.

It was what gave me the idea to send it to you.

[Action]

[hallowbethylies]

[Christmas. Christmas is today and Vincent? He doesn't expect anything, but perhaps the lovely, giving spirits that people have over Christmas time.

And so currently he stands outside of the Pokémart, Valtiel and Cleopatra on either side, the little Meowth acting alone and cutesy, getting close and then pick-pocketing the kindly trainers and townsfolk.

He knows that Heather
and company are in Ecutreak, and he expected that sooner or later, he'd bump into them... so when he sees the back of Heather, he can only give a shit eating grin and speak out.]

Merry Christmas, Heather...

[Action]

[foolishwren]

[Yeah, Heather didn't... know her slimy little cult buddy was in town. She had no idea, in fact... so she very nearly walked right past him, making to tromp right into the PokeMart with Cujo in tow-- apparently she'd finally gotten those saddlebag-style things on him, and they're loaded with both gifts for her friends who are in town AND a few she hadn't mailed ahead of time.]

[But needless to say, that sneer is enough to stop her in her tracks. She freezes, then turns around partially.]

[... Oh, great.]

... Vincent.

[Attention grabbed by his trainer's hesitation, Cujo (who, in person, is a veritable MONSTER of a Growlithe in size, especially with his winter coat in full bloom) turns, ears perking. He's not the ornery sort, so rather than growl like a Pokemon who was more aware of their trainer's feelings might, he merely pants happily and makes trot forward and greet Vincent.]

[But he's halted by Heather reaching out to grab the scruff of his neck and keep him by her.]

When did you get here?

[hallowbethylies]

[That reaction was delicious, Heather; just what he wanted.

Before Heather stopped Cujo, Valtiel had also stepped forward, growling in defense. 'Your trainer is hostile, Cujo, and so you can't come near.' Valtiel doesn't want to have to fight Cujo- it's obvious that he's a higher level- but he has to defend Vincent no matter what.]

Recently. [He's twirling something in between his fingers, idly. Notice that seal, Heather? You tried so hard to get it. He's staying silent, obviously attracting attention to it; he wants to see your reaction.]

[foolishwren]

[Cujo, confused, tilts his head. 8( What? Hostile?]

[Fortunately for all of them, he's a little better-trained by this point than he was when Heather got him (let's HOPE he is anyway, after a whole year and a half...), so he stays against Heather's leg, whining slightly.]

[The motion gets Heather's attention immediately and her eyes flick to the Seal... her reaction might not be as spectacular as Vincent was hoping, considering she'd already found her own flashlight from back home that morning, but she sure as hell notices it.]

[Her eyes narrow.]

What do you want.