036 [Private + Anon Texts]

[soggypastry]

[Private Text to: Hope and Vanille; locked]

You two doing alright?

[Private Text to: Talim; PGC Filter]

I'll be in Mahogany tonight. Are you and Ironhide still in town?

[/private]

[Anonymous Text; unfiltered]

When you've been in this world long enough to see and do everything it has to offer, what's left? How do you spend the rest of your time here when there's nothing left to do?

Comments

[ action! ]

[soggypastry]

[Rocks and cannons and warriors. Okay then. Lightning nods faintly, fingers tapping her hips.]

Alright. Stay with Talim for now, and keep your team in shape. I'll give you a call once I've got you on a squad. [Same as Katara and Sasuke. She just needs to figure out where to put him. Maybe with Talim on a more permanent basis?] Any questions?

[ action! ]

[show_my_cannons]

They will be in shape.

[He glances over at the girl, like he's double-checking for her confirmation. He has no plans to leave the area, or Heather, yet. But...]

Where do I contact you, if I need to?

[ action! ]

[soggypastry]

[Where does--oh, right. She pulls her gear from a pocket, tapping through a couple of screens before turning it so he can see the screen, and her contact info written out on it.]

Send a message to that number if anything comes up. I'll come to you or send someone to help out.

[Depending on the situation and where he is at the time, of course.]

[ action! ]

[show_my_cannons]

Anything? You expecting trouble soon?

[Regardless, he gives the contact info a once-over, before pulling out his own gear and punching it in.]

[Better this way, then trying to remember it offhand.]

[ action! ]

[soggypastry]

No, but we'll be better off if we make sure it's not trouble than if we let it become trouble. We don't exactly have an army to throw at a problem here.

[Nip the problem in the bud, cut the head from the snake before it becomes a hydra...things like that. Better safe than sorry.]

[ action! ]

[show_my_cannons]

Hn. Know that feeling. You are smart to plan, for the worst case.

[Oh, he knows. That sort of planning would have helped a lot, back home.]

[If they'd had any kind of warning, that is.]

[ action! ]

[soggypastry]

[Shrug.] Maybe. I just call it experience.

[Experience enough to turn her head when Odin snorts and paws the ground; somebody wants to get back on the road now, Trainer!]

Doesn't hurt to have plans, anyway. [A sigh, and she turns back again.] Even if we never get to use them at the rate things are going.

[ action! ]

[show_my_cannons]

Fair enough.

[He gives her another nod, then holds out his hand again. The horse's attitude doesn't take a genius to decipher.]

They may improve. Call, when you have need of me.

[ action! ]

[soggypastry]

[Lightning inclines her head in a nod back, giving his hand a firm shake.]

I will. Good luck on the road, both of you.

[Or wherever they go. She lets go of his hand, turning and giving Talim a nod and short but sweet pat on the shoulder unoccupied by her Emolga, before she walks back to her horse. Time to get back on the road herself.]

[ action! ]

[show_my_cannons]

[He shakes her hand, firmly, as well, before stepping back. He has to step over his Growlithe to do it, but he remains standing, until she's out of sight.]

You too.

[There's the barest beat of hesitation. He doesn't... say this to many people. Or any people, really.]

[But he inclines his head to her again, the gesture just shy of a full salute.]

Ma'am.