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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In case you haven't noticed, it's not me I'm worried about here. [If he'd planned on putting his own safety first, he wouldn't be here.

Even so, his hands lower to his sides now.] Look, why don't you sit down before you fall down.

[It's not just her voice that isn't steady.]

[ Lightning stares at him blankly- obviously, she's not doing a whole lot of comprehending so far today. Then, however, her lips press together, and after another beat, she steps sideways. First one step, then another.

She backs up, until she's beneath one of the playground's roofed structures, then leans against a post, wrapping an arm around it... and slowly slides to the ground, her legs beneath her. Her eyes remain fixed in Shikamaru's direction, even if it's probably hard to tell with her head down, fringe wet and mostly flattened into her face. ]

[That's one step in the right direction. He knows there's not much he can do for her right now, but he's not about to leave and be done with it here.

With one hand, he gestures to the journal hanging out of a coat pocket.] Mind if I take this out?

[Right now, he imagines what Lightning needs is to be able to get inside and rest... and maybe have that friend of hers explain thing to her after that. Since it's not an option until she shows up, however, he'll try to keep her occupied in the mean time. After that broadcast on the journals, he thinks getting her to engage in some conversation is a good step.]

.... What for?

[ Not to be cute, she's not afraid of him throwing it at her or something- he hadn't been acting alone during the draft when fighting against her, had he? She's not too far gone to realize that it would still be possible to cause her more trouble with the thing. ]

I want to make sure your friend is on her way. You're not about to go anywhere with me, obviously, but I'd feel better knowing you're not sitting out in the rain.

[ A soft scoff, though the thought causes a welling of... what? Guilt? Uncertainty? She lifts a hand to rub briefly at her face, though it's mostly ineffectual, with the general wet and muddiness of everything. ]

...so was that a yes or a no?

... I don't care.

[He nods, then reaches for his journal and quietly checks the contents within.

He doesn't close it right away when he's done, studying her expression from over the book.] Looks like it shouldn't be too long of a wait.

[ No answer to that at first- she just stares at the ground near Shikamaru's feet, focusing on the automatic things like breathing. After a few seconds, though- ]

Name? [ Her voice is rough, but unusually businesslike for her downtrodden state. If the two of them have talked before, it wasn't enough for Lightning to have come away with knowing that. ]

Nara Shikamaru. [He closes the journal gently; shields it from the rain.] You and I talked about oatmeal once.

[It wasn't an earth-breaking conversation, and they didn't even exchange names. But it was a discussion before that and as silly as it may have been, he's hoping it can humanize him some for her.]

Edited 2011-03-19 21:54 (UTC)

[ Later, Lightning is definitely going to wonder which of those names is his given one. For now, she responds with nothing - not even her own name in return. She's... trying not to think much of anything, right now. ]

[It's not like he needs it. In any case, he thinks he can hear footsteps in the distance now. More or less his cue to leave.]

Look. I don't understand a lot of what happened out there... and right now I'm willing to bet that you're fuzzy on the details yourself. I trust your friend will fill you in on it.

If you want to leave it at that then, fine. I can respect that decision. [He turns to leave.] But just so you know, it wasn't something I wanted to do.

[ Lightning tenses slightly and there's a pause, maybe even long enough to let Shikamaru begin leaving... but then she glances up and says forcefully: ]

It's not going to happen again.

[ ... To her, at least. ]

Yeah? Good to know. [He shoves his hands into his pockets.] But things'll go differently if it does.

[And with that he's gone]

☈ strike #10 (video / action)

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