☈ strike # 23 (accidental video / action)

[thestormishere]

[ You'd think that a woman who goes by 'Lightning' would have an affinity for thunderstorms. However, in truth... considering she grew up in the all but completely climate-controlled environment of Cocoon, her experiences with storms in general have actually been relatively rare, and... well, while she doesn't fear them by any means, she's certainly found they tend to bring more trouble than anything else- and not just because of the bothersome amphibious monsters that like to frolic in their wake.

This afternoon's no different. More importantly, water - and cold, the rumble of thunder overhead and wind gusting over her, mussing her hair - isn't something she was expecting to wake up to. In fact, she... really wasn't expecting to wake up at all. She hadn't been asleep.

In an instant she's rolled into a crouch, backing up against the nearest wall, and the soggy journal laying nearby captures the image of a woman who looks just about as good as you'd expect out of someone who just found themselves face-down in the midst of a rainy village, wearing nothing more than that ever-familiar white dress of a New Feather. Who needs dignity? ]

What...? What?

[ Oh, she seems unhappy. Especially since- even though she clearly wasn't armed a moment beforehand, when she then extends her arm... this happens, with what appears to be a sword materializing in her hand with a flurry of white feathers.

Feathers that slowly vanish with a soft light as they land on the ground, although she stays still, obviously confused yet trying not to show it.

She might be a face that's been around in town for quite a while, but it's likely that only those closest to her or close to her friends in turn will have even heard anything about how she's been missing for just over half a day now.

... Until now, at least. ]

Comments

[thestormishere]

[ No, no it's not. Nor is it very good for helping the confusion levels of certain women who know in their hearts that they cannot afford to abandon their post of trying to keep crazy immortal guys from murdering reality and stuff.

Lightning's clearly disoriented, but it could be worse, given how hard she has to press down the panic that's trying to invade her mind instead... this can't be good.

The sound of the traveler - and then the sight of its weird little fluttery form providing a splash of red against the mostly neutral-colored pallet of the village caused by the rain... seems oddly familiar, if not something she immediately recognizes when she hasn't yet succeeded in sorting out what's just happened.

She pauses, watching. ]

[chirpchirp]

[Walking in this weather proves too difficult and the traveler trips, falling face first onto the ground.

Which one would think would hurt, but a gust of wind blows it up off the ground and sends it tumbling toward Lightning.]

[thestormishere]

[ And then the traveler was a fabric-y tumbleweed.

And though Lightning doesn't really think much on the matter, she bends anyway to try and catch it before it slams into the wall, rather than... simply leaving it to the mercies of the wind by stepping out of the way- she's certainly quick enough if she'd felt like it.

Grabbing hold of whatever body happens to exist inside that flappy cloak there, she attempts to stop its momentum and maybe pull it back up...? ]

[chirpchirp]

♪！

[Its body is surprisingly light but it does have a body under the cloak. Its legs dangle in the air, cloak flapping in the wind, as it is righted. Once it gets its senses back, it looks up at Lightning and chirps at her, trying to huddle close by her legs.]

[thestormishere]

[ ... This would almost be cute if Lightning had room to be amused. You know, if she wasn't out in the freezing rain with little more than a slip on and currently nursing an avalanche of confusing memories that her stubbornness and alarm seem intent on holding at a distance.

But since it's kind of hard to figure out what's going on without them, her options are narrowing down pretty quickly...

Fortunately, it's not as if she hasn't already been subject to having things stuffed into her head without permission! 8D It's just uh... uh....

She looks up blankly, staring out into the storm, and a moment later she finally just vanishes her weapon- in much the same way she summoned it, sans feathers. It's only then she straightens, her hand still laid squarely atop the traveler's head. ]

[chirpchirp]

[They need to get out of the storm. The water and the cold has robbed the traveler of its powers, so it can only chirp more and more feebly as it pushes weakly against Lightning's legs. There is a building nearby. It has seen people go into them before. Maybe it is shelter.]

[thestormishere]

[ Yeah, she knows.

Mostly because her experience the first time with the traveler was with a subtly different creature. One way or another, it doesn't take much for Lightning to sense that this is not a being that belongs out on the cold, regardless of the cloak covering it from head to not far above its toeless little feet. ]

Come on now.

[ Steadying hand still in place, she partially pushes it along as she steps forward, in search of the nearest unlocked door available. All things considered, even if you go ahead and acknowledge her superior height and the weight it would make sense for her to have, she's definitely not as affected by the gustiness here as one might expect. ]

[chirpchirp]

[Following as closely as possible, the traveler leans into the wind and trudges along. It's never experienced wet or sogginess like this before and the weather is severely slowing it down.]

♪...

[thestormishere]

[ Fortunately, it's not too far to turn a corner, pause for only a moment on the threshold of the building she'd ended up near, then pull open the door, pushing the traveler along in front of her before going through herself. She's mostly acting on instinct, relying on familiarity with this place whose layout seems second-nature despite her... technically being totally unaware of the whole thing only a few minutes earlier.

While at least there's no wind or rain here, inside the scent of rain somehow almost seems stronger-- or earthy, really. Green, in a way separate from the fact that the color surrounds them from the moment they've stepped inside.

Lucky them. It's the flower shop. ]

[chirpchirp]

[wet and weighed down, it takes the traveler a moment to realize where they are. the smell of earth is what hits it first and it chirps weakly, pressing up against Lightning for warmth and comfort. when it finally looks around, it is amazed at the sight.

flowers! like the one in the desert! everywhere!

Lightning, you are magical.]

[thestormishere]

[ Demigoddess of war, lil traveler guy. Of course she's magical. :|b

But once they're out of immediate danger - or as much danger as a rainstorm can cause, really - Lightning stops... and is promptly caught up by memories in a way that seems to tie a knot in her throat, gluing her in place. Her hand remains on the soaked traveler, but she turns her head this way and that as she stares at the plants around them, pale eyes half-obscured by her lashes. ]

[chirpchirp]

[something about her body language tips the traveler off that things aren't as they should be. it looks up at her and waits for a moment, then it bumps against her hand.]

♪?

[thestormishere]

Haaah...

[ ... Luceti. Damn it, she's back in Luceti.

And with the knowledge that she went and forgot about all of it the moment she was returned to her own world hitting her like a behemoth on a kamikaze mission.

But that said...

Even as she winces, frustration building to a heated whirlwind inside her chest, the fact that she's about as far from selfish as they come kicks in; forcing her eyes open, she turns to look at the traveler, bending a bit at the waist. ]

You alright?

[chirpchirp]

[it's soaked and confused about what the weather is outside, but other than being wet, it's not hurt. the traveler looks at Lightning and then cautiously leans forward, trying to nuzzle her cheek]

♬♪

[thestormishere]

[ -- Ffff, a bit more benevolent than during their last encounter, perhaps, but that doesn't mean she's really up for Eskimo kisses with rain-soaked clothlings. She tips back up out of range. ]

Of course you are.

[ In the absence of intelligible speech from it, yeah, she'll go ahead and just sort talk to herself, blandly. :T ]

[chirpchirp]

[oh, missed. it looks up after her and then patters off across the store. it's never been in here before. it goes up to one of the shelves, dripping water as it walks and noses one of the flowers.

why won't they wake up?]

♪....

[it nuzzles the flower again and looks to Lightning]

♪?

[thestormishere]

You've never seen flowers before?

[ ^ A lot drier than she is physically, that's for sure. She follows the traveler with her eyes but doesn't move too far from where she was already standing, wiping at her dampened hair in her face with a half-idle, half-impatient gesture. ]

[chirpchirp]

[once. it saw one once. in the desert, dying or living, it wasn't sure which.

it nuzzles the flower again and sings to it, then begins chirping more sadly.

it won't wake up.

maybe this flower is dying. :( ]

♩

♩

♬...

[thestormishere]

[ ... She doesn't get it. While she continues trying to wipe herself off, looking for something better for the job that's not just her hands, she watches the traveler carefully, with a frown. Does this place remind it of somewhere? Is it trying to do something?

She's not sure and remains idly indecisive about what she should do next. ]

[chirpchirp]

[it turns to look at Lightning and then goes over to her. its cloak is still soaked, too, so it can't be much help there, but it looks up at her and brushes against her hand. is she okay? she went quiet.]

[thestormishere]

What is it you want?

[ She doesn't understand, but knows that as simple as the being is, it must still have some sort of purpose. It clearly has wants and more likely than not has thoughts inside that funny little head, but... ]

[chirpchirp]

[it lets out a small twitter and turns away, heading to the flower. it calls out and then looks at Lightning again. why does the flower not call back?]