☈ 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

[burningdownfate]

Test what?

[thestormishere]

[ It takes her a minute to reply, in order to figure out some semblance of how to explain that offhand piece of her request... ]

Essentially? Dodging.

[ Although obviously, her Luceti-found ability to produce explanations that aren't painfully to the point has momentarily stepped down. ]

{ filtered voice to lightning & noel | 8th, evening }

[bereavement]

She's gone?...

[That's something that's come as a bit of a shock. She just up and left, just like that? Did something else pull her away into the annals of Time? Why did she go alone, and not with Noel?

... But he can't voice these concerns aloud.]

voice | filter

[handmotions]

[Upon hearing that Serah's gone home filled him with a strong sense of grief. Noel promised Lightning he'd keep Serah safe, so he couldn't help but worry for Serah. ]

No, Serah..!

[His voice was covered with incomprehensible sobbing. It was somewhat difficult for him to hide his own feelings. ]


Did she say anything to you?

[Why did Serah leave so suddenly? Questions presented themselves in front of him along with his genuine concern.]

[luredbypower]

Any reason why magic is a bonus?

[burningdownfate]

What kind of stuff are you looking to dodge?

{ filtered voice to lightning & noel | 8th, evening }

[thestormishere]

[ Even if she hears Hope's message, it's going to be a while before Lightning feels anywhere close to responding. She doesn't want to talk about it right now, as painful as it is- she'd missed Serah for so long and then finally received the chance to see her again--

But everything had been so odd, with Noel there and then Hope as well...

Regardless, the time they'd been reunited was far too short. And for Lightning, pretending that she doesn't feel like she's suddenly been dealt some sort of grievous blow isn't something she's up to right away. ]

voice | filter

[thestormishere]

[ Lightning doesn't hear this until quite a bit later-- and then, isn't sure what to say. Is he crying? At first she's a touch annoyed by the display of emotion, but then she's... not sure. Rather than letting her knee-jerk reaction be the first he hears back, she simply stays silent on it, stewing in her own thoughts. ]

[thestormishere]

Yes.

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

[thestormishere]

Pretty much anything. [ You can practically hear her pinching the bridge of her nose as she speaks, before deciding to hopefully cut off any more questions in that vein. ] What can you do?

[luredbypower]

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

And that is...?

{ filtered voice to lightning & noel | 8th, evening }

[bereavement]

[Hope draws in a deep breath, thankful for the inability to see his face right now.]

Lightning, I'm... sorry.

[It doesn't matter where or when Lightning's from. Her love for her younger sister is as clear a fact as the blue in the sky. Now it's gone grey, and he can't help but ache in sympathy. Empathy. All of it.]

[burningdownfate]

Swords and fire, for the most part.

[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. ]

filtered voice just to hope

[thestormishere]

It happens.

[ Her voice remains extremely low in her (eventual) reply, although this time it's lacking that defensive matter-of-factness, something she'd adopted just to get the message out in the first place; addressing Noel at the same time is one thing, but Hope alone is a little different-- even if he is now different too.

But, she's far from selfish too, and she hasn't missed noting that Hope himself has lost far too many in the last however long- a fact that quickly pushes her into this particular response...

She takes a deep breath, and even without a visual it's obvious she's shifting her weight, straightening a little even if it also involves throwing an arm over a raised knee, bumping shoulderblades and wings against the nearest wall. ]

We'll see each other again; I know that.

[thestormishere]

Can I see it?

[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.

[burningdownfate]

Why not? Time and place?

voice | filter

[handmotions]

[Noel sniffled down his own tears. He wasn't exactly a person who can cope with the idea of people leaving so easily. ]

Oh no, Serah. Will she be alright? No...[A string snapped inside of him when he realized that she might have to face Caius alone. ]

Serah. Serah, please. Don't do this.

[Part of him felt helpless for being unable to change anything about this event. However, there was a stronger feeling residing within him. That feeling is called responsibility. He did tell Lightning that he'd keep Serah safe. How could he possibly explain her disappearance? This may not have been the Lightning he met in Valhalla, but he still made the promise.

The silence pressed onward as he tried to recollect his thoughts once more. ]

[thestormishere]

Five o'clock or so; battle dome, unless you have any problems with that.

[ That'd give her some time to finish up some other things first at least, as well as avoiding the problems inherent with insisting on a 'right away.' Time conflicts are annoying. ]

[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.]

[voice]

[presumablyalone]

I'll spar with you, Lightning! [Good timing too. He's been wanting to train with someone for a little while now.]

I don't know any magic... but I can fight with a katana if that's okay. What are you testing anyways?

voice | filter

[thestormishere]

[ It doesn't take long for Lightning to go from awkward, perhaps sympathetic, to annoyed at the young man, his words grating on her ears. What is wrong with him-- is he eighteen or eighteen months? ]

She hasn't died, Noel.

[ As far as she knows. Despite her own pain, it only frustrates her that he's upset and showing it much more messily here, even if it's unlikely he's as up-to-date with how this sort of thing works in Luceti anyway. It strikes her as selfish amongst a whole slew of other negative things, causing her voice to be harsh in reply. ]

[burningdownfate]

No problems. [He might be late for "family" dinner but... well. He'd make sure to talk to someone before he left. Better that than facing the inevitable lectures afterward.]