thestormishere | ☈ strike #17 (action / video)

☈ strike #17 (action / video)

Action; House 41; morning and onwards of the 22nd.

[ The calendar used in Luceti might be noticeably different than that of Cocoon's, but the way Lightning-- or rather, her friends seem to figure, since her previous birthday was roughly a month before her arrival last November... a Saturday in 'October' seems about as good a time as any to acknowledge somehow making it to twenty-two years of age.

She's really not looking for an outright party or anything, but after some stubbornness-filled discussion, the woman's reluctantly agreed to... well, what she'd likely do anyway: focusing on just having a relatively good day in general. That may or may not include humoring her housemates by dragging them around town to just Do Stuff too, though. Maybe indulge in just a little bit of the sort of food she tends to refrain from? Who knows.

After rolling out of bed and showering, it doesn't take her long to gather up Baldr and start looking into obtaining breakfast, studiously trying to put herself in a good mood. In other words, not thinking about how awful a year before now (and the events directly following it) turned out to be...

Of course, the problem is... coincidence is a tricky thing in a place like Luceti. Is she ever allowed to forget about anything for very long here? ]

Video/Action; plaza center/fountain; late afternoon of the 23rd.

Your moon... looks strange today.

[ Your moon because it's certainly not her moon, a sentiment that's quite obvious from the odd, tense quality to the woman's tone of voice. All things considered, with her homeworld's unknown status, her floating land's distinctly moonlike appearance as it hangs over the planet below, and most importantly, since it's pretty damn hard to forget the day after her twenty-first birthday being the one where she lost her sister and became 'fated' to tear Cocoon down out of the sky... she's understandably pretty tuned into any celestial objects' condition. Especially since it's currently the day following the one that, as a l'Cie, she never expected to reach.

As such, there's a looong pause, apparently thoughtful as she looks up at the sky. And then, randomly: ]

... How are you supposed to 'get over' something in the past, when it's still tainting what's supposed to be good?

[ -- Wait, no no no, asking that kind of thing? Not something she normally does at all, particularly over the journal or in front of strangers. Naturally, now it's too late, however. She aims a frowning Look towards her journal, then at anyone who might have heard from where she's sitting on the fountain. Her voice turns quiet and dry as she shakes her head, a hint of dark sarcasm sneaking in. ]

Why do I get the feeling something bad's about to happen anyway?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Hubert isn't too far from the fountain, having been passing by, when he catches some of Lightning's words. Stopping a short distance away from her, he crosses his arms and looks up at the faint moon.

The likelihood of something bad happening is high. That's the hunch he also gets. ]

. . . It's possible, given the subtle changes since yesterday evening.

[ Oh, it's that guy with the ~secret weapon~ from the other day, isn't it? The memory is enough to cause her pause, following that comment that was pretty off-handed anyway ~~regardless of how accurate the party members tend to be whenever they say something like that in-game~~. ]

... What do you mean?

[ Fixing his spectacles, he turns his gaze to Lightning. She seems like a sharp woman, which should make this easier to reason. ]

There's been a shift in the moon since then. You must have noticed.

A little while ago.

[ Frown, and she closes her journal slowly with gloved hands that keep their grip around the edges afterward. Misgivings with this young man or no, she's hardly going to turn down a potential source of information when it walks right up to her. All she's got to work with now is superficial similarities; when it comes to actual moons and how they work, she's pretty much blind aside from the bare basics. ]

You think that's a bad thing?

In Luceti, anything out of the ordinary might result in negative consequences.

[ She must know this, so his tone isn't one of a lecturer.

It's largely his cautious nature speaking, and that feeling that things are headed down a dark road. While it's possible to see the moon in the day, there's something about its overall appearance that strikes him as odd. ]

Especially irregularities pertaining to the environment.

[ As minor a thing it might be on its own, all this planetary crap is really starting to add up and get on Lightning's nerves anyway- especially since this isn't the first time she's had someone mention to her something 'obvious' over the same subject matter recently. ]

In a way you could say that about the seasons changing too.

[ Uh, sort of. Funny that it's almost like she's trying to refute him despite her commentary... but it's not like she wants something awful to happen. Could be she's trying to make up for her THE SKY IS FALLING episode a little under a month ago, too. Her eyes are narrowed as she stares off to the side in thought, then: ]

How long have you been here?

[ With the way Luceti is, he may as well come to be suspicious about the seasons changing, obnoxious as that might be on his part.

The question comes from out of nowhere, and while Hubert isn't entirely big on dishing out personal information left and right, this is harmless stuff. Relatively. Depending on what angle he looks at it from. ]

I have been in Luceti for seven months. In other words, not long, but long enough.

[ Long enough to experience all sorts of humiliating things. ]

[ Lightning dips her chin towards her chest briefly, shaking her head. ]

Not long enough to know if this is some sort of annual thing, though.

[ Her expression is at once thoughtful and annoyed as she looks down her nose at her journal; it's obvious she doesn't take much stock in the idea. Sticking strictly to logic causes her to say something like that, but her gut tells her it's a useless path to consider, trying to find and question the ones who have been around for longer than a year... ]

No, though there are recurring events according to written records. The Hunter, for instance, may or may not make another appearance soon as this year's cycle draws to a close.

[According to what he read, he'd prefer the latter.]

The moon may have exhibited an unusual behavior in the past; however, I saw no mention of it in the archives. Still, that naturally does not rule out the possibility that it had in the past.

[Perhaps he could inquire with his house mates on that, whom have been in Luceti longer . . . He's used to being the one packed with general knowledge, it's odd.]

That's right... the new year; it's in just a few days.

[ She'd almost forgotten about that - maybe because it doesn't actually seem to carry much weight here, regardless of the big deal she'd assume the holiday-happy people here would want to indulge in. It doesn't even line up to the calendar the majority of the residents seem to insist on though, so maybe she should have seen that coming. Just one more thing that doesn't even try to make sense. ]

It's worth looking into, I suppose.

[ She needs to do some more research of her own anyway... as unsavory as sorting through everything ever looking for tiny things that might not even be there in the first place can be. ]

[He nods. An odd time for a "new year," but it's not like a research organization would wait for the actual first day of the year to roll by before putting their work in effect.]

In the event that this did not occur at any time in the past . . .

[What then?]

Then who knows what might happen.

[ Her frown definitely still continues to tug at her lips, eyes narrowing as she looks up again at the unusual sight in question. Her mind jumps back easily to odd things that have happened around 'significant' dates in the past; needless to say, she's hardly optimistic about the matter. It makes her uneasy to an embarrassing degree for sure. ]

We'll just have to try and face it, like everything else.

[ The unknown. Hubert can't stand it.

Another glance at the moon, then he turns back to Lightning, his arms dropping back to his sides. ]

We should prepare ourselves for whichever happens to be the case.

[ Though he figures she's already well aware of that. ]

Yeah... but it's hard to prepare for something when you don't know what to expect.

[ It's not like Lightning's happy about that at all either, though- her voice definitely holds a bitter tinge to it, her lips pressing together distastefully after she's finished speaking.

It's just-- what sort of experiment starts off with the moon turning around to show off a... particular nose-y structure on the side of it? Everyone in the village starts seeing faces on things where they shouldn't be? Unexpected secrets begin to be revealed all over the place? There's just no telling. ]

[ He raises his glasses with a finger resting on the bridge of his nose, fixing it.

It is hard to prepare for something like this, especially where the moon and the odd masks are concerned. This isn't one's average oddball situation. This is one of Luceti's hard-to-deal-with antics. ]

Yes, it's difficult. And that is why we must make an utmost effort.

Not telling me anything new.

[ Lightning sighs. This kind of conversation - and the helplessness it always serves to reveal written indelibly all over every aspect of their life here - bothers her to a ridiculous degree. It's like an itch she can't scratch, as it were... and as such continuing to stay and sit there uselessly conversing about things that may or may not be is out of the question. She shifts, gathering up her things, and stands. ]

[ She has a point, but is there anything new to tell? Not really on his part, so he leaves it at that. ]

In any case, I can forward my findings to you if you'd be interested.

[ This isn't confidential information he's digging up, so he feels he can share that much if he does come across anything. If. ]

[ Lightning pauses at that, unsurprisingly a little suspicious. After his indifference to her curiosity before, now he's suddenly offering to take time the time to share anything he finds with her?

Baffling. ]

If you find out anything it might be best to share it with everyone. [ Ehh... but... she briefly moves her arm, indicating the journal held beneath it. ] Name's Lightning, though... I'll be listening.

[ This isn't confidential record, Lightning. That's the only difference. But he appreciates her cooperation all the same, and nods.

Lightning, hm? Interesting name. ]

Hubert Ozwell.

[ She simply nods, before stepping aside to move on, mind working busily. Her agitation is already showing as stiffness set across her shoulders and down her back, though; this is not going to be a very pleasant week at all. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

☈ strike #17 (action / video)

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject