soggypastry | The 6th Storm [4th Wall 6; Video/Action for Ilex Forest]

[The feed clicks on suddenly and to harsh breathing, Lightning white as a sheet and her shoulders heaving as she is clearly trying to catch her breath. There's loud roaring in the distance somewhere behind her, and she casts a glance over her shoulder and the tree she's bracing herself against, before she returns her attention to the camera.]

If anybody's watching this, stay out of Ilex. There's something in here that won't hesitate to kill you. I think I've almost got it down, but--[Whatever else she's going to say gets cut off as she whirls around, just in time for the camera to catch this cleaving the tree just above her head, and she goes down with a cry of shock. The gear clatters to the ground in time to see her scramble as the creature roars, clearly trying to cut her down the middle with that sword.

But it doesn't get the chance. There's a tremendous crack and a different kind of roar, the roar of thunder, right as a bolt of lightning crashes down on the monster as if the heavens themselves just launched a bolt down at the horrid thing, before everything glows a rosy pink and rose petals drift through the air. The gear vibrates, shaking wildly until it spins and the angle changes to show the creature roaring in anger as it faces down something it wasn't expecting.

A target that fights back.

In the ensuing battle of blades and lightning, the gear shuts off when someone, or perhaps something, steps on it. Lightning might not be coming back for that gear for a while.]

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[Meanwhile he won't change in ten years. Not a single bit...except perhaps reaching some real estate agreement with his gold-eyed tenant]

Yeah...you've always told me to plan ahead. Guess I really didn't wanna think about it.

[He falls silent for several moments, scuffing his shoe against the dirt]

I'll see them too, but since I'm here, I might as well say things now, right? So...Light, I love you guys. And no matter what, I'm gonna find you so we can be together again.

[She blinks, feeling her eyes burn. She'd always known he cared--it was hard to miss it--but to hear it is another story. Despite his words, it sounds like he's saying goodbye for the last time, and she has to swallow a lump in her throat. It's going to be strange, not having him around. Hard.

But they'll get through. They'll manage to make the impossible possible again. For now, however, there's something she needs to do. Not caring about the pointy edges of the armor, she steps foward folds her arms around his shoulders. Maybe this is goodbye, maybe he'll return. She doesn't know. But what this is to her, at this moment in time, is closure.]

I know you will. You'll figure it out.

[Ven's surprised for just a moment. It isn't that Light hasn't shown affection, but she shows a great deal of restraint much of the time - that's how he sees it. She's strong and she's a soldier, but he's always known her heart is kind and caring.

After that moment he returns the hug, glad he gets the chance to. He is determined to find the people he loves again, whatever it takes]

I sure will. And then we could finally have everybody together - I don't think we ever have.

We came close years ago, but not since.

[How many times has--had his family left him? She doesn't even know. She just knows that after the year shifted over, things started going terrible when it came to keeping their families here.]

It'll be good to see them all again. It's been too long.

[Years, even. She misses them...Etro, she hopes she remembers this. If she knows he's out there looking for a way to bring them all back, this won't be so hard.]

It sure will. We'll have to have a party - a real nice one.

[With ice cream and meat and all those other things everybody likes. He's quiet a while, content to maintain the hug as though he can stockpile that feeling and hold onto it for over a decade's rest. And then he shifts slightly]

My armor's probably hurting your arms, huh?

Sounds good.

[Sounds perfect, really. Time with family, with friends, and a way to keep them all here or all leave together. She can't think of anything better, really.]

It's fine.

[But she's held on long enough, and so she steps back with her shoulders squared. She's drawn more strength from than this than she would have thought possible, and so her smile is warm. Maybe a little proud, too. She's got to look up a little instead of down, and boy. That's just making her feel old. When did the kids get so tall?]

Remember what I said, alright? Go and find the others before this place decides to send you back the way you came.

[By that she means flying.]

The 6th Storm [4th Wall 6; Video/Action for Ilex Forest]

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