soggypastry | 028 [Text/Audio/Action for Violet City]

[Text; Filtered to all PGC members]

There was a casualty to the bombing yesterday. A boy named Danny Fenton was mailed a bomb, and Cobra Commander has threatened to take us out for getting in his way. He doesn't know the Corps exists, but be on your guard regardless. Don't handle anything suspicious and avoid traveling alone at all costs until we can deal with him and whoever else he may be working with. Avoid mentioning us in public, as well. We'll need every advantage we can get for as long as we have it.

[Audio; Filtered to: Leon, Hope, Serah, and Ven.]
We should leave the city before something else can happen. Are you ready to get moving?

[Action for Violet City Inn, Room 221]
[Anyone who seeks Lightning out today will find her in her room at the Inn, flitting between a pad of paper on the desk and the bag she's packing. The paper is covered with notes that are easy to read and the bag is smartly packed, so it's a sharp contrast to Lightning who looks a bit...frazzled in comparison to her normal self. Someone seems just a bit out of her element for some reason.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ven waits to say anything until a few moments of silence have passed, taking this in]

Those Rockets...they're escalating. First the Kimono Girls, and now one of us.

[He'd be hard pressed to disagree with that]

[At that, Lightning sighs. They're in this together, partners, but...she really hates having to say this.]

It's going to get worse before it gets any better. The man who put the bombs in the Game Corner threatened to hurt anyone who stands against him in ways we won't expect. He's probably got a list of targets that has more than one of us on it.

[Thunder spells would especially come in handy now, since Cobra's undoubtedly found her name from their conversation and may just be after her, too. Whoops?]

[Ven can't help a small sigh, almost visibly deflating. But he straightens himself soon after, knowing he can't leave Lightning bearing the brunt of this weighty situation]

That...honestly wouldn't surprise me. Vanitas had different ways of knowing, but he understood exactly how to get to me. This guy's probably been watching some of us in his own ways.

...Actually, it makes me wonder...

[Oh Pinksis, always a trouble magnet. Don't cause Leon to get grey hairs now]

[She's willing to bear it alone, but she also knows that if she tries, he'll give her puppy eyes and say "let me help you" or something of the like. She knows her Venbro well enough to be most likely right about that.]

Wonder what?

[...She makes no promises. Better her and her alone than an entire squad or more, right?]

[She does indeed know him well, because chances are that's exactly what he'd do. Taking on things like that alone is too much, even if he knows Lightning'd somehow shoulder it like the soldier she is.

He wouldn't be doing his part then]

If maybe I oughta ask Vanitas about these kinds of things. It's stuff he would've tried back home, or he's done close to it - some of his Unversed would explode during battles.

He understands this stuff in a way I can't, I've never set out to hurt anybody.

[...No, her army of siblings would pile on her with their worries]

[She'd soldier through and never say he needs to take on more because that's just who she is and he knows it. Same as he knows she still side-eyes the idea of Vanitas even being involved in this but...well. Take what can be gotten.]

That's a good idea. We'll need all the help we can get if we're going to stop this guy before he hurts anyone else.

[Yes, well, worried sib-army or not she still thinks she's a better singular target than all 30-some PGC members at once.]

[He's certainly well aware, which was cause for more than a little hesitation. But as he's promised, he'll take full responsibility for whatever comes of this. It's the least he can do right now]

I'll be sure that I ask him then, he'd probably have more ideas than I do. If we can prevent that Cobra Commander from harming anybody so easily, we can keep more people safe and maybe discourage them.

...Although I'm not counting on that.

[One thing he's learned from Lightning is to not be so optimistic that there's no way he can possibly achieve what he's aiming for. It's not practical, as tough as that is to accept.

But he'll never take to the idea of Lightning taking on being targeted all on her own]

[And she's very appreciative of it No matter her distrust of the other boy, if Ven didn't think he couldn't handle it, he'd say something. Or so she hopes.]

It may work, but it's probably just going to get him angrier than he already is. We'll have to be ready for anything.

[Discretion is the better part of valor, after all. No counting the chicobos before they hatch.

And no Ven throwing himself in the way of the proverbial arrow, either. She lived for months with a target on her back, she can do it again.]

[Having caused more than enough worry, he certainly would. Causing his friends to fret over him is something he hopes to avoid]

That could be what happens. But at least we might be better equipped to anticipate his moves.

[It's almost frustrating how uphill this all is, but something is better than nothing.

As long as Pinksis doesn't think she's going it alone]

[It's liable to happen anyway, but so long as he doesn't seek out trouble, things should be fine. Truly.]

We should be, if we can keep everybody from running off to take him on alone.

[Because thirty some people coming at him one at a time may raise some serious flags and they don't need that. At all.

Oh, she knows she's supported and loved. Which is why she wants to keep her loved ones out of his sight, so she'll take the big target. It's a never ending cycle, really.]

[True... He's definitely not looking for any danger on his own, at least]

That'd be...bad. Gotta make sure everybody knows better than that.

[Indeed, they don't want to start looking like a problem themselves.

Oh Pinksis. So many pouting little siblings]

[Which is good. Because he's got a crowd of sibs that would charge in after him if he did, too.]

Most of them do, but some...[A sigh, and she shakes her head a bit.] I barely managed to talk Saber into warning her squad before she lets Cobra come after her.

[And that could still devolve into a rather large issue on its own. They really don't need more trouble on top of it.

If they all dogpile her she won't know what hit her...or be able to get past them. At all.]

...That would've just been asking for trouble. Glad you talked to her about that at least.

[Sheesh, so many trouble magnets among them.

Dogpiling might be for the best, really]

She's determined, and she seems skilled, but going alone in any of this is only going to cause more problems. Especially if she got caught and they were able to get intel out of her.

[It's a protag thing, sadly...and it seems to infect everyone.

Yes. Dogpiling the pinksis and not letting her go out a window is the best option to keep her safe...or just take her to the beach. That would work too.]

Going in alone would definitely lead to trouble. No matter how storng somebody is, it's a big group we're dealing with.

[Good point, this kid's really no exception.

...That'd probably make Leon a happy camper too]

And none of them should be taken lightly, even after we know exactly who they are and what we're dealing with. No sense in taking risks when we can avoid them instead.

[Nope. Not an exception at all. None of their family is, truly.

...And it probably would. Heck, he may even help. He's good at barring doors with his body.]

Right. People are less likely to get hurt that way.

[Very true indeed.

As he earns himself the title of Doorstop]

For now, anyway. Once we know what we're dealing with, taking a risk can get us ahead of them if we're careful about when and where we do it.

[The cautious bird gets the most worms, after all.

It's a good title. Almost as good as Knight...given their location, anyway. Johto probably doesn't need knights in shining armor yet.]

028 [Text/Audio/Action for Violet City]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]