025 [Video/Action for Saffron]

[soggypastry]

--I said stop that.

[Well. Someone sounds a little angry today, doesn't she? Lightning's not exactly known for her easy-going nature, but she's calmed down a lot here in Johto. Except it doesn't seem that way from the tone of her voice.

But at least the growling isn't her. No, that growling belongs to the Shinx who just happens to be chewing on the gear, keeping the feed in blackness until Spark pulls it free of his mouth and starts a bit of a Pokésquabble. This does let anyone watching see that Lightning has a cloth over her arm and is chasing Odin around, the horse prancing and...yep. Dancing around to avoid her. He seems amused, though, especially after she tosses the cloth over his back. It's a saddle blanket, and it's supposed to stay on, but Odin's not having any of it. Nope, he's just running away so quickly it falls to the ground and leaves Lightning in the dust. Amused horse is amused and...almost laughing.

Yep. A laughing horse. It apparently does happen, but Lightning is most certainly not amused. She's just picking up the saddle blanket and trying again. And again. And again. And each time, Odin just runs away and ditches the blanket, leaving Lightning shaking her head while Shinx and Spark continue to tussle, hitting the gear and ending the feed without her noticing it was even on.]


Private Text to: Rise Kujikawa

[About six hours after the video feed, Rise will receive this:]

Can you meet me at the Train Station? I have something for you.

Comments

[lif]

[ Fang makes a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. On the one hand, she does appreciate knowing this. It's just that she can't do anything about it, which is not a feeling she enjoys. Lightning wouldn't leave Fang and Vanille behind, and Fang doesn't want to hear that Lightning's dead and nothing can prevent it. ]

So you're dead or as good as it, and that's that.

[soggypastry]

[Lightning can understand the frustration, and perhaps there's a tiny part of her that told Fang all this so they could be on even ground, but it's outvoted and outweighed by Lightning's care for her friend. Better to hear it from her than from an enemy.]

Yeah. I thought you should know before someone else tells you and catches you off-guard.

[She knows that Fang is a tough old cookie, but after that incident in Orphan's Cradle...she just doesn't want to see her family hurt ever again.]

[lif]

[ Fang has a long and storied history (literally) of making bad decisions where the safety of her family is concerned. Even she knows it, and she turns her head away in what's almost a wince - it may not have been as big as Vanille's secret, but if she'd heard it from somebody else she definitely wouldn't have been happy with anyone involved. ]

Wouldn't have been pretty.

[ She's quiet for a moment, considering. There's a certain similarity in that neither of them really has anything to return to. For her own part, Fang's been considering this a bit of reprieve, some extra stolen time to enjoy. It may not be the second chance that she wanted to give Lightning or the others, but hell, it was better than nothing. ]

Glad you're here then.

[soggypastry]

[Lightning nods, keeping her knees drawn up to her chest even as her posture starts to right itself. A weight has definitely been lifted from her shoulders, but has it been replaced by another? Hard to say...]

I know it wouldn't have been.

[Nothing more is said. She doesn't have to remind Fang of what happens to those on the bad side of her temper, and if someone else had told her Lightning was dead, well....it wouldn't have ended well. But they're both here, and that's what matters now.]

Yeah. Me too. It was too quiet without you around.

[lif]

[ Basically, Fang would've been doing hard labor for practically forever. Thankfully, that doesn't seem like it'll be an issue.

She glances over at Lightning, but all she sees is the change in posture. She shifts over throw an arm around Lightning's shoulders, pulling her into a half-hug because it's the least awkward position she can think of at the moment. ]

Knew ya liked it when I make trouble.

[soggypastry]

[Thank Etro, fal'Cie, and the Maker for that. Because Lightning would be right there with Fang if she got into trouble and that wouldn't end well at all.

At least she doesn't protest the half-hug, though? It does catch her off-guard, but she doesn't tense up and instead almost leans into it a smidge. Almost.]

Something like that. I'd be worried if you didn't.

[lif]

[ The hug only lasts for a moment before Fang reclaims her arm. ]

Someone's gotta keep you on your toes, or make sure you remember to have fun.

[soggypastry]

[Once Fang's reclaimed her arm, Lightning stretches out a bit in preperation to stand up, but she does send a glance in Fang's direction.]

You've got your work cut out for you, you know. Not going to make things easy on you.

[lif]

That's what keeps it fun for me.

[ Her response is immediate, then followed by a laugh. ]

[soggypastry]

[To that, Lightning only shakes her head as she stands up, turning to offer Fang a hand]

We'll see if it stays that way.

[lif]

[ She takes that hand and stands. ]

Have a little faith, Light. The moment I give up you can tell me I'm old and have lost my touch.

[soggypastry]

[A nod, then...tiny smirk. Fang? Lose her touch? Say it won't be so.]

Maybe I will. But if you lose your touch we'll probably already have bigger problems to deal with.

[lif]

[ That, hopefully, is the point. ]

Count on it. And if I'm lucky we'll be too busy savin' the world again for you to give me the "told ya so".

[ Yes, she really would rather be fighting another Orphan than hear that. ]

[soggypastry]

[Well, it may just happen. Who knows?]

Then you'd better hope Lady Luck still likes you.

[This is a pretty big world, though...they probably would be really busy if it came time for ex-l'Cie to save it.]

[lif]

[ Anything's possible! ]

Not too worried. What's there not to like?

[ Fang knows that she's leaving herself wide open with that one and frankly doesn't care. The banter's moving them away from the tension of before, and that's all that really matters. ]

[soggypastry]

[True, true! Even Orphan showing up here would be possible.

...And, Fang? You really did just leave yourself open. Wide open.]

You want the short list or the long one?

[she might be joking. Maybe. Hard to tell with Miss Poker Face here.]

[lif]

[ She's apparently taking it on faith that Lightning is continuing to tease. That or she isn't too worried. ]

Short one. You've already accused me of goin' soft, don't need ya breaking my heart too.

[soggypastry]

[A long pause follows that, before Lightning shrugs. In for a gil, in for a pound.]

You're a lot like Snow sometimes. He didn't always make friends.

[Though, considering what Lightning thinks of Snow now, that might just be a compliment.]

[lif]

[ Fang can roll with the punches, especially a relatively soft one like that. It's true, it would've been very different coming from a time before Lightning was willing to let Snow marry Serah. ]

Heroes don't need to be popular.

[soggypastry]

[But since it comes from a Lighting who trusts Snow now....yeeeep. Practically a compliment.If it didn't mean reckless, worrying, and sometimes downright idiotic, anyway.]

It would help if they weren't, considering how many enemies we had.

[lif]

[ She can live with that. ]

Not exactly something we gotta worry about now.

[soggypastry]

[Good. Because Lightning's not changing it for anything.]

I hope you're right about that. Never know who's going to show up here.

[lif]

Think you got enough trouble without going and borrowing some. We'll deal with it if it happens.

[ She's confident that they can handle anything that gets thrown their way, so it's just that simple to her. ]

[soggypastry]

[Is it borrowing trouble if she tries to prepare for the inevitable? She doesn't think so, but she'll give Fang the point. Works better that way, really.]

Not like we haven't done it before, anyway.

[Even if they're missing half their "unit", they can probably manage anything. Probably.]

[lif]

[ It really is too bad Snow isn't here. Then Fang could have a partner in "screw it, let's just go with it and deal with the consequences when they come". The headaches they could give Lightning! ]

See? Nothing to worry about. Worst case is that Titan suddenly shows up and decides he needs to fix this place up too. Feeling up for some more trials?

[ Fang finds the idea funny, but she also thinks it has an approximately zero chance of happening. ]