imthe_shit | [ action / backdated to November 29th ]

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[ action / backdated to November 29th ]

[ The tornado had finally stopped, and Snake had been able to leave the center, taking a look around. Downed trees, parts of roofs blown off... Kind of amazing the center had little to no damage.

He could see people working together with their Pokemon, already clearing the wreckage and putting the town back together. Looking upward, the old soldier stared up at the tower. ]

That thing's still standing, huh.

[ He'd seen it in pamphlets about Mahogany Town, since he had nothing better to read while he was holed up in the center. Amazing. It was still raining, though, and Snake didn't have an umbrella with him-- probably not a good idea to bring out Boss.

So, he wandered over to a nearby tree, one of the ones still standing, and leaned against it, patting himself down for a cigarette. He had his octo-camo with him, but he couldn't get the damn thing to work... Must have glitched somewhere along the way, so instead he was dressed in more casual wear. A black turtleneck, camo pants... This was his usual outfit from the last time he was here, too. Not to mention the bandanna around his forehead. ]

Hhn... Where the hell are they... [ Finally, he finds the pack and opens it, realizing there were only two cigarettes left. He frowns considerably. ] ... Damn tortoise...

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A memory...

[ He looks down at her hands, the one placed over his and he lets out a bit of a sigh. Why should that be a part of her? She never asked for that kind of life. But then again, no one ever asked for the shit they had to go through. It just pained him a bit to know it was happening to a kid like Heather.

He nods his head slowly after a moment. ]

Yeah. [ Snake gives her hand a little squeeze. ]

Well... Thanks for telling me all this, kid. I'm not going to see you any differently, you're still that little punk that gets into trouble and drags us all in with you.

...I'm glad I could be here again for you to trust me enough to tell me. It can't be easy for you.

_{[Yeah... she definitely hadn't. And she's frequently struck by the unfairness of it all. ... But, well, wanting it to be different never changes much of anything. She's still not sure what she's doing sometimes.]

[But she laughs at that-- it's not quite tearful, but it could be close. It's... an enormous relief, actually, to know that he doesn't see her differently. Or rather that the new knowledge isn't getting in the way of how he's always seen her. ... She just hopes it'll be the same way with the... other things she might have to tell him later on.]

[Not all of them are as easy to hear as this was.]}

Eh, wouldn't be worth it if it was easy, right?

... I'm just glad I had the chance to tell you at all.

[ Snake was a killer... People could argue that the people he's killed deserved it, that they were "bad people" and that he was some kind of hero for taking them out, but that was all a load of crap. There were plenty of people Snake had killed that didn't "deserve" to die, that had families, that were just caught up in the mess, at the wrong place at the wrong time... He'd ended their lives in the blink of an eye and just kept going.

It was possible that if most people knew just what kind of guy Snake was, about how many people he'd killed without remorse, they'd probably change their minds about him. It wasn't something he was proud of, but it was the only thing he was good at... Much like why Fox's words meant so much to him.

The old soldier gives a bit of a smile at her, nodding his head slowly. ]

I don't plan on leaving you again, if I can help it. [ He exhales slowly. ] I know everybody says that... And I know you're not alone now, but... I'm sticking around, whether you like it or not. [ His tone is a bit playful, but he really means it. Heather was a fighter, but he could see it in her eyes that loneliness ate away at her. ]

Maybe one of these days... I'll tell you a few stories about myself. [ Not that any of them were very cheery, much like Heather's. ]

_{[That's something Heather could empathize with, somewhat. Not entirely, no-- she didn't know what it was like to be a soldier and probably never would. Silent Hill was full of atrocities but the horror of war was one thing that hadn't touched it-- at least not for her.]

[But she's killed innocents before-- directly and indirectly. Alessa had been used for more than just ending the world, after all.]

[Those are tales for another day, though.]}

... You can stick around as long as you want. _{[... As long as you CAN. She's under no delusions about losing people now. It's a reality that she's been forced to confront over and over-- and sadly, it never gets any easier. But this is a blessing. And she intends to take advantage of it.]}

As far as I'm concerned, you're part of the family.

_{[Family can share stories, no matter how grim.]}

Part of the family, huh.

[ He smiles a bit at that, looking down at her hands. ]

Kind of like an estranged grandpa, right? [ Snake was laughing at himself, really. ]

_{[And at that, she grins broadly.]}

'Zactly.

I never had a grandpa, y'know.

Well, that makes two of us. I've never hard a grandpa either. [ If I did, he'd probably try to kill me. ]

I'm not that experienced with it... I've only got the back pain down.

You should start carrying those bags of hard candies around in your pocket. _{[GRANDPAING INTENSIFIES]}

....

Hard candies? Is that something grandpas do?

Well, I don't have firsthand knowledge of it, but apparently!

Also, you'd be a huge hit with Henry. He loves anyone who offers him candy.

Sometimes I sort of worry he's gonna end up getting into a strange van and disappearing.

You watch too many movies, Heather.

[ He can't help but chuckle to himself anyway. ] I've already given Henry a pack of cigarettes. That's basically like candy, right?

... Wh-- ... aw man, Snake, you gave him cigs?

We're trying to get him to quit, y'know!

Hey, I gave you cigarettes a while ago, too.

[ Snake that was like 3 years ago. ]

Not like you can die here anyway.

Not here, but he's got important shit to do when he gets home.

_{[He can't save the world if he has lung cancer!]}

Hey, I've been home before and it was like none of this ever happened.

He'll be all right. [ Maybe. ]

All right, all right.

Just don't let my dad know. Okay?

I'm not known for breaking under pressure. His secret's safe with me.

Unless your dad catches him smoking and he rats me out.

_[.....]

... I wouldn't entirely put that past Henry.

... Hnn.

Well, I guess I'll just be getting shit from your father.

I'm so sorry.

Guess this means you've quit for good, huh?

Yeah.

... I mean... I quit before I ever even got here.

... There were just... times when I was tempted to start back up again.

[ Snake nodded slowly, withdrawing his hands from hers in order to rub the back of his neck and stretch a bit. ]

Yeah. A lot of stress... Not sure if I could cope without a smoke.

Yeah, I... didn't originally start because of the stress.

I just did it because everyone was telling me not to.

_{[Or rather, because all the authority figures were telling her not to. There were people telling her the opposite... most of them being people she should have known better than to want to impress.]}

Hnn.

Maybe that's why I keep it up, too. [ Smirks. ] I'm a little old to be going through a rebellious phase, though.

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