☈ strike #14 (action / voice)

[thestormishere]

[ After the whole fiasco with having to take down Jack Horner's dragon form, Lightning's been thinking a lot lately-- namely, about her own trouble with maintaining a human form and fallout from failing against her will several months ago- both things which, frankly, she's been trying to avoid.

However, she can't just keep ignoring it forever, can she? Especially considering that ever since then, even if she's continued to grow slowly stronger and is currently safe from the ramifications of an active l'Cie Brand... the 'penalty' she was saddled with makes using her powers a lot harder than how it used to be.

And so she practices, attempting to get a handle on the magic that's there but no longer instinctive like it once was. Healing magic is fairly easy to figure out, the weaker elemental things like Thunder and Water are simple enough if difficult to aim now, but as for the more complicated spells...?

As for learning new ones...?

She can be found alternately in the battle dome and outside near the edges of town quite a bit during these last few days, with and without her gunblade and various other weapons from before and during her time spent here. She's not really doing much actual fighting, though; it's obvious she's trying to do something, concentrating for sometimes minutes at a time, before casting something that just seems to flicker in the air around her, or light up the edges of her weapons with bright-colored energy.

After some time and a lot of deliberation, she turns to the journals. ]

-- Filtered to House Lucky occupants --

Hey. Have a minute?

-- - --

Comments

[filtered back]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

What's going on, Light?

[filtered]

[thestormishere]

Hope- [ Er, this is sort of a tricky topic, considering the state of his Brand in comparison to hers, but... ah well, she's just going to go ahead and say it and see how he reacts. ] I think I've learned how to do 'Protect' spells.

[filtered]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

What?

[That's unexpected. Hope pauses for a moment.]

...how did that happen?

[filtered]

[thestormishere]

[ Her tone is notably more thoughtful and/or uncertain than usual- not just because of what thinking about it means for her (and him), but because she really isn't sure how to explain it either... ]

I don't know. I haven't learned anything new for a while... until I started focusing on totally different things instead.

[ Translation?: "I maxed out my first three roles, but have still gained enough CP to fly through learning another as soon as I started paying attention again." ]

[filtered]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

I wonder if I can learn new things too. [Lightning's been here a lot longer than he has, but... it still has been a while. Several months, even.]

Can you do anything else?

[Filtered]

[wingenvy]

Sure thing. What's up?

[Filtered]

[thestormishere]

... Think you can meet me at the battle dome?

[Filtered]

[wingenvy]

Looking for a spar? [He already sounds pleased. A chance for a fight? Hell yeah.]

[Filtered]

[thestormishere]

Something like that. Bring your sword.

[ In other words, yes, you're probably going to find this pretty "interesting," Zack. ]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Or two or three... What are you up to?

[thestormishere]

Magic.

[ Short, kind of distracted answer. But what fun it is to say that and mean it seriously. By now, she doesn't even think about how odd that might be. ]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Are you getting the hang of it better?

[thestormishere]

Slowly but surely. [ A breath that strongly resembles a sigh- she's pretty conflicted over this whole thing given the source, still. ] I want you to help me test something.

[Action!]

[bamfing]

[See Kurt, see Kurt at the console, inputting commands for a scenario. He's going for something a little tougher than usual. Hmmm... maybe one of those worlds with monsters, like Terra showed him.]

[Action!]

[thestormishere]

[ And here's a Lightning, just kind of... staring at this weird-looking blue guy at the controls, a vague, thoughtful sort of frown on her face. How does people do politeness? ]

[Action!]

[bamfing]

[He soon becomes aware someone else is there and glances over his shoulder.]

Ahh... just a second. I'm almost done!

[Action!]

[thestormishere]

-- Can I ask you something?

[ The question's out before she has a chance to think twice about it- a lot more impulsive than how she usually is, even if it's in the same low, even voice she typically uses.

Just because she's determined to reach out for once doesn't mean she's gonna to be able to do it in a manner that's not really awkward, though. ]

[Action -- edges of town]

[justicereigns]

[Arches an eyebrow waiting for something to happen. Finally he just speaks up in a gruff voice, don't mind the twin cigars, he won't blow the smoke her way.]

Are you planning to stare at that weapon or actually practice with it?

[Action]

[thestormishere]

[ To be honest, usually Lightning doesn't really care if people watch her practice or whatever... as long as they don't do anything to bother her, of course. Suddenly distracted by the comment, she frowns as she turns to get a better look at this guy nearby and--

Well, it's only been a little over two months since her unexpected, experiment-forced adventure with smoking and then having to quit cold turkey afterwards, so... seeing the cigars immediately causes a sort of avoidant reaction in her. ]

... I'm not here to put on a show.

[Action]

[justicereigns]

[Snorts derisively.]

You just look like you don't know what you're doing either.

[Or... he's just a jerk. You know. Probably that.]

[Action]

[thestormishere]

[ The frown deepens. Even if she's still trying to feel things out with her magic, generally, that's about the last thing you can say to describe Lightning-- especially when it comes to weapons. She also has... roughly zero patience when it comes to dealing with that kind of attitude.

She suddenly snaps the gunblade down to her side with a practiced gesture, shifting it back into its gun/idle mode before spinning it in-hand and slamming it back into its holster with almost implausible ease. ]

You're wrong.

[ And with that she's going to just, uh, turn to walk away. >>; ]

[action] ONCE MORE WITH FEELING

[kyoshi]

[Have a Suki! Who is just wandering out of one of the training areas of the battle dome, folding up her fans and taking a break after a lengthy training session. She spots Lightning on her way out, and is kind of... staring curiously for a moment. What in the world is that weapon...?]

[action]

[thestormishere]

[ Only the most awesome weapon around! Lightning shakes her head at herself over something... before glancing up and noticing she's being looked at herself.

... Generally that would be the end of it, but... even though they've never really met or anything, Lightning's sure she recognizes the girl-- after all, the former soldier stalks the journals quite a bit, so she's at least vaguely aware of the girl and her recent efforts to organize something.

And right now, Lightning needs help, which means... congrats young warrior, there's a Lightning stepping over in your direction. ]

Hey. You're... [ What was it? ] ...Suki, right?

[action]

[kyoshi]

[Eep, she's been caught. Well, no sense in dodging it now, so she just nods, focusing on the woman rather than the weapon.] That's right. You know about me? [Must've been the announcement, considering she's in uniform.]

[action]

[thestormishere]

A little bit. [ And look at that- still completely serious, of course, but... she's actually attempting to seem vaguely amiable?? From one combat girl to another, or something like that. ] I know you've got some fighting experience... right?