thinkimsuperman | [video .001] -- Route intro post

((OOC: oh my god, you guys, what am I even doing? Late intro is so late because of NaNoWriMo and I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING, besides. Enjoy :'D Sorry if I derp this up like the derp I am. Also, feel free to add your own character tags. Tag add new/delete and add/remove to entry is set to any user because I am too trusting))

[the feed shows Douglas Cartland blinking in the middle of a random field in the sunlight, shielding his eyes from the sun. He's got his 'gear in one hand and his Shuckle in the other and he's staring hard into the screen]

How the heck do I... how am I supposed to work this thing? Is it like a phone? One of those new video phone things or...

[pause]

Oh, it's recordin'. Okay. Well uh... not sure if anybody can hear this but I'd really like to know where I am. Some woman gave me lunch and shoved me outside when I woke up this morning, but that's not really important. What I really wanna know is where I woke up.

Hello? Anybody listenin'?

[he frowns]

There's no way this is Maine.

[he resists the urge to say "I have a feeling I'm not in Kansas anymore", because this isn't the time at all]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You can always count on me for that.

_{[... Aaaand now she has to resist the urge to start whistling 'You've Got a Friend In Me'. Fortunately, she has the strength of will to do so.]

[Of course, what he says after that makes her chest ache a little bit, like before-- she's not sure she has the heart to tell him that Johto was probably not responsible for her disappearance. But hey... after this place, maybe if she ever went back... she'd make a different choice rather than just up and leave like she's assuming she did.]

[So she just smiles back.]}

Well, you're a pretty nice sight for sore eyes, yourself.

I was worried about how you might be doing back there without me. ... Least now I can keep an eye on you, huh?

[another grin]

I know I can, kiddo. And you can count on me. I promise I'll always be here for ya. You know, now that we're in the same place again. I know you've got your dad for stuff like that, and I'm glad. But you can still come to me if you need anything. I hope ya know that.

[and then a laugh]

I dunno about that. I'm lookin' pretty old lately. But it'll be good to have ya keep an eye on me again. You know, make sure I don't cause too much trouble.

_{[She knows. She's never been the best at showing it, but she appreciates it. It's probably evident in the way she's smiling.]

[So she laughs.]}

Yeah, I'd better not have to march down to any stations to bail you out, you rapscallion.

_{[... Then realization dawns on her face and she actually brightens up. Hopefully.]}

Wait-- so... so you've talked to Dad?

_{[... She has no idea what dark tones that conversation took.]}

I promise you'll only have to bail me out once or twice. I'll be on my best behavior.

[he's still grinning, but it falters a little then]

Yeah, I did. Real nice guy. We actually got along really, really well until he realized who I was. I don't think he likes me too much. [or at all]

_{[... Oh. O-oh yeah. :I;]

[Suddenly Harry's cold reluctance to discuss the subject of the detective back when she had first filled him in on everything that had happened to her on that fateful night-- including Douglas's unfortunate role as a pawn of the cult-- is coming back to her.]

[Uh oh.]}

... Oh. I, uh... I'm sorry. ... About that.

[his smile widens a little. If he could pat her on the head right now, he would]

Hey, it's not your fault, Heather. I know you can't control your parents.

[a little pause]

I'm glad you get to have him back here.

_{[VIRTUAL HEADPATS.]}

Yeah, but-- man. Talk about awkward... _{[It's not that she doesn't understand where her father is coming from. She does. Hell, it's not like SHE wasn't angry at Douglas at first for the exact same reasons that Harry was. ... The difference was just that he'd gone on to help her through more than just Silent Hill. Fair or not, he'd earned her forgiveness in her eyes.]}

But yeah. Me too.

It's... it's pretty much everything I ever wanted. After... you know.

Sure it's awkward, but I had it comin'. I can admit that. After everything that happened...

[he pauses, looking awkward and a little sad]

I'm really sorry... about it bein' my fault. Never sure if I said that enough.

_{[It's more than just awkward for him... Heather can already tell she's in for an unpleasant conversation later. An unpleasant conversation with her back-to-life father, who she hasn't yet argued with ONCE since they were reunited. Well... she supposed it would've had to happen sooner or later...]

[She bites her lip, looking somewhere between guilty and sympathetic.]}

Hey, I made it pretty hard on you in return, so... Not saying that it's like, equivalent exchange or anything, but... if the world were fair, it'd probably be over. _{[She's long since accepted that.]}

I know you're sorry. ... S'enough for me.

_{[She'd been bitter, right afterwards... but it had faded. Even if it WAS all his fault... he'd put his own life on the line for her sake, and then stuck by her after. It counted for something.]}

[he shakes his head]

You didn't make it as hard as ya think. I was lonely too. You took care of me just as much as I fussed over you, even if ya don't realize it. [a small smile]

I'm glad you forgive me now, though. If you didn't I don't know what I'd...

[he lets the words trail off and he looks away for a moment]

I hope you know I'd be huggin' you if I could right now.

_{[The smile returns. It's a softer one than what she was wearing at first.]}

N'I'd be returning it.

_{[Heather had always been a fan of hugs.]}

... Thanks. For... you know. Being there for me back home.

I dunno if I ever actually said it, but... I don't think I'dve stuck it out at school and stuff if you hadn't been around.

[he smiles widely at that]

No problem, Heather. Thanks for lettin' me. Guess we were both just lucky we had each other, huh? You sure made my life more interestin'.

... Yeah. Heh... lucky.

_{[It's true, they ARE lucky ... things could've been worse. A LOT worse. ... But it's hard to think that way, sometimes...]}

[he pauses, slightly awkwardly, and then smiles again]

Sure didn't feel like it was lucky at the time, though. I hated seein' ya so torn up and knowin' it was... my fault.

[he glances away. He doesn't want to talk about it, but he figures if they're going to be here together it's going to have to be discussed at some point]

I hated being so torn up.

But... whatever. Can't change the past, I guess.

_{[Nobody would wanna talk about it. Not really.]}

[he tries to smile, but he can't. He really wants to hug you right now, Heather]

I guess not. But you can wish it never happened.

Don't see what good that would really do at this point.

_{[But she heaves a sigh.]}

One thing I can say is... this place is better. WAY better.

It seems better.

[he smiles]

A lot more cheerful than back home, at least.

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