thestormishere | ☈ strike #10 (video / action)

[ It's really just the icing on the cake that, after everything's that happened to Lightning here- trapped away from her home, failing her Focus by force, conscripted to fight in a war she has little stake in, turning Cie'th on the battlefield of all things... she's finally returned to Luceti, not a week following her eventual death like what's supposed to happen, but ten days after the fact instead. It's not as bad as it could be, of course, but it's definitely enough to cause worry in a way she really wouldn't approve of at all.

And not only that, but it's raining as well. It's quickly approaching evening, and huge drops are heard landing heavily on the pages of a 'recording' journal laying open somewhere outside... and then suddenly a shriek- not unlike another one heard two weeks earlier, although this time it's localized not far from the center of the village. A minute later, and anyone then paying attention to this particular 'video' will get treated to a rather erratic view of the sky, an overhead structure of some kind in passing, and the occasional fleeting glimpse of Lightning, wearing a white dress and with most of her hair plastered wetly to her face.

There's also the sound of ripping, as someone in a state of acute distress begins tearing the pages out of said journal in handfuls. Overlaid on that is the sound of heavy, uneven breathing, what sounds suspiciously like the occasional sob, and-- ]

Stop it. Stop it!

[ ... Obviously, Lightning is not well right now- a fact that is not only apparent over the journals, but in person as well. It's certainly not normal for a woman in what looks to be New Feather garb to be sitting in the middle of the school's playground in the rain, hunched over and trying her best to destroy her own journal. Please help? ]

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[She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head at the command, keeping a tight grip on the umbrella over Lightning's head while her pigtails seem to lean heavier in the rain.]

You're scared and alone and you'll get sick and I don't wanna go!

Go! [ Lightning presses her hands into the ground, deeply agitated... although actually, she is going to get to her feet now, though if only so the girl will stop bothering her about it...! :( Little telling what she might do once she's up. ]

[By this point Elicia's pigtails are flattened out, but she doesn't move from her spot. She's gotta make sure Lightning gets out of the rain before such a thing is possible; her frown deepens and her face grows red at the sharper command, but she just grips her umbrella in a hurt shiver at the tone.]

[ Lightning takes a step back, glancing around her for the first time, noting distantly the location, the apparent time... but then doesn't move away any further. She turns and stares down at Elicia and then the deconstructed journal blankly, crossing one arm over to the other. No, she actually has no idea what she's supposed to do now, even if sense is very, very slowly starting to make a reappearance in the absence of any other triggers. ]

[Oh, will she be alarmed if Elicia reaches for her hand like so?]

I don't know why you're sad and all alone... but it's all gonna be okay...

[ Be a little bit alarmed, yes; offer major objection, no. Her teeth clench, body stiffening- needless to say, she doesn't give any help towards maintaining Elicia's grip. ]

Mnh... [ Well, she was going to apologize or something there again, but... too stubborn. That's actually a good sign, though. ]

[Elicia manages the tiniest of smiles.]

Come on. There's a bench, right over there! Rain can't hit it, so you'll be fine there...

[Forget that we're both pratically soaked at this point.]

[ ... Being pulled along and taken care of by a child. For someone like Lightning... there is something terribly wrong with this picture. Her lips press together and then, quietly: ]

Why are you out here?

[She pauses, worried.]

I left my scarf out here, s-so I came to get it.

[It's kind of a dirty mess in one of her hands, now.]

☈ strike #10 (video / action)

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wb, elicia @_@

;~; I missed her so