☈ strike #15 (action / video)

[thestormishere]

[ For Lightning, because of the circumstances at the end of the last time she'd been drafted, this is actually the first time since her arrival she's ever had to go and try to readjust back to 'normal' life so suddenly- to go from experiencing days of battle and worry, thinking critically, ready to kill or order to kill at a moment's notice... to sleeping in a bed she's used to, eating breakfast in the morning, running for exercise, trying to figure out what else to do for the day...

The village might just be getting started on a whole new New Feather cycle, but Lightning doesn't really find it easy to care that much. She pays attention but mostly ignores what doesn't concern her-- aside from even more random strangers wandering through her yard, that is. Apparently that's just the price of living at house #41, so close to the plaza.

... Of course, something is still pretty off, too. Regardless of somehow managing to do a passable job before, she'd really rather not be having to go out and water the flowers around the house again-- Aerith's flowers. Especially since, like it or not, the guilt over not keeping an eye on the other woman that last day of the draft continues to plague her. She still doesn't know what happened to her, aside from the fact that she suddenly disappeared and just never came back... and yet she does know that others will probably be wondering where she is anyway. In a weird way, the l'Cie kind of considers handling it her duty... even if she'll still be eyeing anyone who gets near with obvious suspicion.

Unless your name happens to be Hope or Zack, of course, the former which has an upcoming birthday laying on her mind, and the other which... she needs to... kind of figure things out with. After that conversation right before everyone was sent off. Ohhhh boy.

If she's not caught in her yard, eventually she does leave her own territory, though, restless and looking for something to do. And after some time, she turns to the journals with a dry, vaguely annoyed-sounding inquiry: ]

Just... out of curiosity, who all is even looking after these fruit trees north of the village? [ A short pause, and she's clearly looking off, studying something a little bit overhead. Unsurprisingly, she's standing right alongside an apple tree, bearing a prodigious load of readying round fruit. ] Look about ready to harvest, out here...

Comments

[wise_maiden]

[If the woman is wandering around, or even still outside her house, she might see Raine on her way to the square to take care of some errands, the flower shop being her direction in particular. Their houses aren't particularly far from one another.

Raine hasn't seen much of her since their talk on the draft--perhaps here and there, in the midst of everything, but not enough for talking properly. So Lightning will get a nod and a wave.]

[thestormishere]

[ Lightning hasn't really talked to anyone since then-- at least in the way of conversation that doesn't fall under the description of absolutely necessary. But with Raine-- the l'Cie knows she's at the flower shop sometimes, so... although she's reluctant to return the silent greeting, she also doesn't look away when she sees it.

... She should tell someone who 'works' there about Aerith's disappearance too, right? So there aren't schedule gaps or... whatever. Sighing and shaking her head internally, she moves to walk up closer to the other woman. ]

[wise_maiden]

[She hadn't expected the other woman to approach, so she remains where she is so that Lightning can catch up with her.]

How have you been doing?

[thestormishere]

[ Lightning just kind of... makes a face instead of a response to that, pressing her lips together slightly. Once she pulls up to conversation-distance, she crosses her arms loosely. ]

Hey. Listen, Raine...

[wise_maiden]

Hm...? [There's something about that tone, so she waits for her to continue instead of pressing too hard.]

[thestormishere]

[ Lightning doesn't usually act quite like this, with her tight frown and averted gaze- although to be fair Raine's probably seen more of it than most people in the village, on account of her and Hope's l'Cie troubles...

The tendency not to dodge all around the point is still intact, though- ]

... Aerith... didn't come back with us, from the draft. So...

[wise_maiden]

[Her own expression grows grave once Lightning speaks. It's not an answer she had expected to hear -- and certainly, there was no mention of her being injured during the draft ...]

That's ... I see. [Damn it.] Thank you for letting me know. I didn't see much of her on the later days... there weren't any announcements made, either.

[thestormishere]

I don't think anybody knows what really happened out there. She just-- disappeared.

[ There's a lot of possibilities: the forest, the ocean... and yes, it's obvious that that bothers Lightning quite a bit. Sullenly, she pulls a hand through her hair; logic says it's not her fault, but her heart insists she should have been able to do more. ]

[wise_maiden]

It'll be a few more days before we know for certain. Unless she had been kidnapped after returning, but...

[Survivor's guilt. Such a familiar feeling.] It's never a good position to be in. Not knowing.