thestormishere | ☈ strike #13 (action / voice)

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☈ strike #13 (action / voice)

[ Today, Lightning's doing something fairly unusual in comparison to her normal - and recently even darker than normal - behavior. For once, she's outside and yet doesn't seem busy, merely watching as her puppy Baldr frolics about in the general area of community housing 4 in search of sticks to defeat, things to dig up, and nearby people to greet. In fact, the young woman and dog look pretty safe to come 'visit' with today- especially since there's also no gunblade in sight, and as she sits down to lean against the outside wall, she makes a pretty inane-seeming public message. ]

These seasons... usually last about three months each, right? How much warmer does it get?

-- Filtered to Sigmund --

Sigmund. About earlier... when and where?

-- - --

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[ Lightning's so used to sudden changes in mood that this one doesn't even phase her. Therefore, there's a slight, thoughtful pause, but very little actual hesitation from the woman. ]

... Would you talk to anyone else, Aerith?

[ It's not meant to be mean, but Lightning is wise to the part where she might not, after what she's heard so far. Her face is neutral- the sort of thing she wears when she's concerned but hasn't hit Worried yet. ]

...Maybe Buffy.

[The smile's one that says she knows she's probably caught, though.]

[ Okay, now she's worried. Aerith lives with Zack, so is it not something she can talk to him about? She just said he got pulled from earlier, but... ]

You can talk to me. Honest.

...Okay. [It's hard to say, like she's forcing something sticky and disgusting up her throat.] Let's go to your apartment. [Because Hope already knows the basic fact... and it's indeed something she doesn't want Zack to know at all. Not unless--until--she's found a real chance to overcome it.]

Right... go on, Baldr. Upstairs.

[ Aerith's request doesn't bode well at all, and yet Lightning seems... strangely unchanged as she follows her dog towards her apartment ("Up up up...")- honestly, she's used to being around people in similar situations, even if she has yet to get what's bothering Aerith confirmed. Sadly, imminent death sentences are nothing new to her.

Third floor's not far, and by now Lightning's gotten much better at opening the primitive lock even if Baldr's insistence on getting in the door first gets a scoff out of her. You would have never guessed he was equally excited to get out a few hours beforehand... ]

...Mmm... [Aerith watches Baldr stretch into a pile of tired puppy fluff not far from the door, her lips pursed in thought. The words are hard to find. For what seems the hundredth time she's wondering if this will help--what good will it do?

...What she wants to do is a lot simpler to think. If she focuses on that, maybe something could be figured out.]

I want... to figure out another way to go back home. Not the Malnosso's or this Planet's way, or whoever's responsible for it. I don't like it. We're thrust back into that moment we were taken from, even if it was bad for us. ...Even if... some of us were dead.

[ .... Having a suspicion doesn't mean it's any easier to hear. Lightning gives a short, heavy sigh, crossing her arms, listening to her heart thump a little louder in her chest. ]

Yeah. [ -- And she trails off, eyes averted. ] Sit down.

[ She needs a quick delay, to reorganize her thoughts and figure out how to take that idea in stride - ironically, it's that wish that's harder on her than the news, regardless of how much it does or doesn't show. ]

[And Aerith does go to sit down on the couch, but she doesn't do it quietly; she doesn't want the news to just sit there, like some ominous thing.]

It's not that I'm ignoring it all the time. I'm okay. I don't think about it that often. ...Sometimes it's hard to believe anything happened. The sun on my face feels the same as ever.

[Even if this Planet won't say anything at all. But she's definitely worried about how Lightning took the news, looking up at her face.]

[ And Lightning is... well, it's clear she's unhappy, but she's far from freaking out or anything. She sits as well, dropping her bag between herself and the end of the couch, then leaning forward as she looks at Aerith. Other than that, she's still probably pretty hard to read- her voice is softer than usual, but just as steady as ever. ]

You're sure that's the case... I'm guessing the others confirmed it, then.

[ Except for one... ]

[Her face turns slightly away from Lightning's gaze once she notices it, even though she consciously tries not to.]

I put Cloud in a tough spot. He... was with me when it...

[She's getting really fidgety now, fighting back the impulse to up and walk away.

But there's something about what Light said--the others--]

Light--Zack doesn't know. He wasn't there.

[ Oh. Oh great. ]

Why--? [ False start, for the second time in almost as few minutes- pretty unusual for her, considering she generally just says whatever is on her mind. Here, she's at once annoyed and... she doesn't even know. Subconsciously, she probably realizes Aerith's a lot like her in that she doesn't want people to worry, and she can definitely understand that, but at the same time...

Ironically, this serious ex-soldier who's personally knocked down more people than she can count is still sort of trying to get over the concept of people attacking each other with intent to kill in the first place- the idea that anyone would want to kill Aerith. People from Cocoon just don't do that, and in her personal experiences she doesn't really know of any situations that quite match up.

And that's not even getting into how weird it would be to not just be from different times but have someone's death standing in the way too. Lightning thought she was prepared here, but apparently... not really. ]

... I'm sorry. [ A touch belated, but it's not pitying or upset despite the sincerity. It's not until she shifts her weight thoughtfully and puts a hand to her chest before she looks away, muttering almost entirely to herself. ] Just what makes them think they have the right to mess around with something like that anyway?

[It really isn't usual for her, and Aerith purses her lips, frowning to herself. Is she annoyed at her? And what why? Why Zack wasn't there, why she hasn't told him? The first one she doesn't want to answer, and the second is probably obvious enough. She wouldn't hurt him. Because it had hurt her so much to find out his death, and she didn't want him to feel anything like that.

...She shouldn't have made Light feel like that either.

She just wishes she could shove this all somewhere very far away, but it keeps insisting on coming back, sooner or later, even if it seemed far away in the day there were nights that she was irrationally afraid she wouldn't feel the sun the next day... and she couldn't be sure that was irrational...

Her eyes have dipped down to her clasped hands before she raises them again to answer.]

There are a lot of people who don't recognize right and wrong. But I can't complain about being brought here. Luceti isn't good, but--it gave me one more chance.

[She has to focus on that. Has to.]

Well, that's what happened. I'm sorry, it's not really a nice story. [Honestly, it's not even a story as it stands, but she doesn't want to get into the details.]

[ Lightning holds a hand to her mouth, eyes narrowed greatly in thought. ]

... We'll figure something out, then.

[ And she means it, even if she's careful not to specify what that 'something' might entail. She's driven by the desire to get back to her world and set things straight, but this puts that unwanted spin back on things- is it possible to get off the rails of 'fate' if there are people who have already experienced what hasn't happened for you yet? For example, if she goes back to the same time with the changes she endured here still intact, then what about Hope who was from some time after her?

She doesn't believe in not being able to shape one's own fate, though. That's why she's not upset about this, because there's always a way... and admitting otherwise is the same as admitting defeat. Not gonna happen. She straightens. ]

After all... what's the point of another chance if you don't use it?

[It finally eases, the fear of hurting Lightning. She still knows it couldn't be easy to hear, but Light was strong. There wasn't guilt or unfulfilled promises between them. They wanted to help each other.

It's still hard. Her smile's small, but it's there and real.] That's what I was thinking.

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☈ strike #13 (action / voice)

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