☈ strike # 22 (filtered voice / public video / action)

[thestormishere]

[ Again.

For the third time now, someone Lightning has cared for has left; unfortunately, despite it being a major staple of life in Luceti, it doesn't get any easier-- especially given the identity of the absent person in question.

But it is different this time, if only because her explosiveness in reply to it seems sapped... when she speaks up on the journal, her voice is flat and quiet, deceptively even. ]

-- Voice only, evening of the 8th, filtered to Hope & Noel --
I thought you should know... Serah's gone home.

[ ... And that's all; with that she's gone- locked in her room if anyone cares, without answering, touching, or even looking at her journal...

It's not until well into Thursday afternoon that Lightning makes a reappearance to the 'public.' That said, it would be hard to pinpoint anything's wrong at all for those who don't know her fairly well, save for a sort of distant demeanor- evident in her averted gaze and too-smooth voice.

She's sitting on a beach in her transmitted video, but it's not Luceti's beach, given it's clearly night where she is, in contrast to the real sun still shining away cheerfully outside. ]

I'm looking for people wanting to spar-- maybe help me test something. Weapons, hand-to-hand, anything. Send me a message. Or just come to the battle dome.

[ "-- I don't care." There's a short pause, while she briefly taps her fingers on her knee, tries to think of anything else worth mentioning.... ]

Magic is a bonus too, if you've got it.

[ And then there's an abrupt end to the 'feed' once again. Anyone who doesn't catch her message or decides to just go ahead and wander over to the battle dome will find her fiddling with the simulation controls, armed with an unusual, bulky weapon - looking somewhat like some sort of gun - hanging holstered behind her hips.

... No, there's really no words for how much pain she's in right now, but perhaps distraction may help. In any case, no matter how much she sometimes seems set on it, she knows quite well by now that cutting herself off has a very low chance of making her feel any better. If nothing else, this is at least worth a try. ]

Comments

[thestormishere]

Yes.

[ Er. Were you... expecting to hear it? ]

[luredbypower]

[Yes, he was. Because he wants to know what specific sort of magic would be a help.]

And that is...?

[thestormishere]

The same reason why any other skill here is useful. I'd like the practice.

[ She's still not sure if this guy actually has some magic or is just asking questions for whatever reason. ]

[luredbypower]

[He does, he just wants to be sure he'll be of some help.]

I might be able to help then if you do not mind someone who uses only magic. That and you aren't bothered by my weapon being a set of eyes that float beside me.

[thestormishere]

[ Well, that sounds uh... interesting, although considering the things Lightning has seen from her own world and then here in Luceti, perhaps not as strange as it could be. So while there's a slight pause... ]

I'm sure we could figure something out.

[ Not that she isn't wary, however. Magic is also all kinds of dangerous, generally coming at a price far too high for anyone sane to be willing to pay, where she's from. ]

[luredbypower]

[Yes, it is a strange weapon, and can be dangerous as well. And not that Hugo's magic comes with no price either, he just recently learned what it was and as long as he can still use it, he will.]

I am sure we can. Shall I meet you at the Battle Dome then?

[And he's really hoping that by sparring with someone maybe he can finally figure the place out. Randomly pushing buttons didn't seem to get him anywhere last he tried.]

[thestormishere]

Yeah. I'll probably be there for a while.

[ And she will- growing up in Cocoon makes her no stranger to technology, and given her short list of interests, she's gotten pretty good at programming things during her time here with access to that particular feature.

She'll likely be smack in the middle of mentally deciding her latest sim is "good enough" for now when he eventually shows up, folded gunblade swinging from her hip as she turns away from the panel with a frown... ]

[luredbypower]

I will be by soon then.

[And it will only take Hugo the amount of time needed to walk from C7 over to the Battle Dome. As much as he'd like to practice teleporting more, it's too unpredictable to use when meeting someone in a specific place and time.

When he arrives, there will be no indication of that strange weapon he mentioned quite yet. He's just looking to try and find Lightning among the others who may be about.]

[thestormishere]

[ If Lightning had been a little wiser in her quest for assistance, she'd have been more careful about learning more about the people she's pulling in. As it is, however, her preoccupation is unusually high today, leaving her unable to recognize Hugo right off the bat, regardless of the idle people-scanning of her own.

With her pink hair, short skirt, and bare arms but gloved hands, she's fairly distinctive, though. ]

[luredbypower]

[And Hugo is likely the only person who wouldn't actually be insulted by someone not recognizing him from the journals. He's loving how Luceti let's him have a fresh start with everyone.

Of course, it doesn't helped that he forgot to get Lightning's name, but he did see enough of her picture to know he's looking for a pink haired woman and only seems to be one of those. So he'll walk up to her.]

Are you the woman I was speaking with looking for practice with a magic user?

[thestormishere]

[ At least she's good at reacting as the blows come, considering she hardly skips a beat at all when he walks up to her; her hand finds her hip as she gives him a quick once-over out of habit, before- ]

Yeah. I'm Lightning.