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

[soggypastry]

[As good and as normal as Fang's teasing, which earns her a look and the smirk's disappearance. Why is Lightning not surprised? Because it's Fang.]

He's not a Gorgonopsid, you know.

[Because making any comment about biting not being his thing or who they share their bed with wouldn't end with no teasing...even if it's a perfectly tame Shinx that wriggles into bed and bites anyone who tries to move him.]

[lif]

[ Her heart weeps at the missed opportunities, even as the comparison and its resulting mental image makes her grin. ]

Never said you didn't have taste.

[ However, she has no intention of being a pain about the whole thing. It's just too good a target to ignore completely. ]

Maybe I could trick 'em into thinking a lance is just a walking stick. A really big one. [ A beat. ] Have to leave off the blades.

[soggypastry]

[Fang, she knows that grin. She knows that grin, dammit. It's why she's not saying anything else on the topic of her boyfriend and just...nodding faintly. A big stick could work. Maybe.]

A big stick still hurts if you can hit someone hard enough. They'd probably arrest you for carrying a weapon, though.

[lif]

What if I asked nicely?

[ She leans back on her hands. It's more trouble than it's worth. ]

Wasn't planning on runnin' off half-cocked and hurtin' somebody with it. [ She's well aware that she's earned that assumption. ] Just want to train with it. 'sides, apparently you thought I'd be pining without it.

[soggypastry]

They'd still arrest you.

[More trouble than it's worth indeed. Lightning's lucky they don't confiscate survival knives, really.]

Considering you rarely let the thing go or out of your sight, can you blame me?

[Granted, Lightning herself never really let go of her Gunblade, so...kindred spirits, Fang?]

[lif]

It was my life.

[ In an almost literal sense, considering how she needed it to survive. But yes, kindred spirits. ]

Not anymore. It's odd, goin' from that to this. I haven't been at loose ends like this for a long time - the novelty's worn off. Didn't you feel the same?

[soggypastry]

[Was. Past tense, ancient history, they can't get it back here. It would leave anyone at loose ends, but especially those used to constant fighting. Peacetime isn't all it's cracked up to be.]

Yeah. I still do, sometimes.

[Hell, she feels like that a lot of the time, when she has no purpose to work towards. Soldier to the core.]

You'll get used to it after a while. It helps if you focus on training your team.

[lif]

I was thinking 'bout goin' after the gyms, if only cause it'd be something to do. But I'd rather take it easy on these guys.

[ She leans forward, tracing her fingers over one of Bahamut's bony spines. He's particularly stubborn in his desire to get stronger, as he's getting impatient for his wings. But the parallels between trainer and Pokemon is still a bit too close to fal'Cie and l'Cie for her liking. And Fang refuses to be Anima. Sorry, Lighting. Fang may trust you with her life, but that's still not something she's very comfortable admitting to. ]

[soggypastry]

Have you thought about what they want? They might want to train until they can't anymore.

[Said in a light, almost casual tone. Lightning had her own feelings about the parallels between this world and their own in that respect, but the difference is, Pokémon can fight back without turning into monsters, and Etro knows they have their own opinions about training. She does understand why Fang wouldn't mention her feelings about it, though.]

[lif]

It's one thing if they let me know what they want. And what if they don't want to wear a saddle?

[ She understands Lightning's point, but it is a valid question: where does one draw the line? ]

[soggypastry]

Then they don't. We can try, but actually forcing them to do something they don't want isn't as easy as it sounds.

[Odin is a good example of that; he doesn't want a thing to do with the saddle, but this little run-around with his trainer and Fang? He's enjoyed it. Lightning can draw a frustrated line there.]

[lif]

[ She makes a soft, amused sound at that. ]

Can't expect 'em to cooperate any more that we would.

[soggypastry]

That's because they won't. They've got the right to choose, and they use it.

[Said as Lightning rests her chin on her knees, watching Odin prance around for the exercise. Something seems to be bugging her, but...it's hard to tell what.]

[lif]

[ It's the unusual body language that tips Fang off on the existence of a problem, but it's true that she has no clue what it is. She decides to prod experimentally; she can guess that she won't get an answer if she asks straight out. ]

Not that you'd have it any other way.

[soggypastry]

You're right, I wouldn't. They deserve freedom just as much as we did.

[The only difference was that they never had to worry about it being stolen. Lightning wouldn't do that.

As for her odd body language, well, Fang's probably going to have to ask outright about that. She's given no hints a to what it's about.]

[lif]

[ She's just going to ignore the apparent contradiction of why Lightning is still trying to force the saddle on Odin, because she must see something that Fang doesn't.

On the other hand, her shot in the dark was (of course) totally off the mark. So much for that. ]

Then what's eatin' you?

[soggypastry]

[Force might be a strong word, because if he keeps dodging she will give up on it for a while, but, as for the rest....she looks at her friend then shakes her head. How to say this...]

Something I need to tell you. I'm just not sure how.

[Because with Snow it was one thing, but with Fang...it's a whole other story.]

[lif]

[ ...Not what she was expecting, enough to throw her off slightly. She shrugs, trying to mask her sudden concern. ]

Probably best to just spit it out.

[soggypastry]

[Spit it out, huh? That should work...even if it pulls at Lightning's grown-into subtleties.]

I'm dead, Fang. If I disappear from here, it's not because I went back to Pulse to get you and Vanille out of Cocoon.

[It's said in such an even tone that she might be lying or pulling Fang's leg except that...well, Lightning doesn't do that. Not to family. She truly believes what she's saying.]

[lif]

[ Can you blame her for not being a big fan of secrets? Still, that sudden revelation makes her still. ]

You weren't supposed to be doin' that in the first place.

[ The objection is automatic and without heat. She's still trying to wrap her mind around the first part. You know, the important one. ]

Maker. What happened?

[ As if that could help her understand. ]

[soggypastry]

[The first comment earns Fang a look that all but screams "did you really think we'd leave you there?", but Lightning doesn't respond to it. The first part is the more important one.]

I got dragged into a war, fighting for a Goddess against a monster. We were losing and the only way to stand a chance was to cut off the enemy forces, to give the rest of the people fighting with us a chance to win the war.

[A short pause as she sighs, looking to the sky.]

It was a suicide mission and we finished it. Next thing I know, I'm back here again. Pretty sure that means I can't go home some day.

[lif]

[ It's hard to reconcile, having someone next to her, breathing, just being there and saying that she's dead. Harder still because it's Lightning, and only an army should be able to take her down. Hard also because yes, to Fang's stubborn mind Lightning and the others should just leave them there, should go and live their lives and be happy and not be dragged into someone else's war.

But there's something in that phrasing that sticks out to her. So she has to ask, even though she isn't looking for details or to pry: ]

So you don't actually remember dying?

[soggypastry]

[Considering it was an army that took her down, it's not that hard to believe...mostly. And besides, Fang is family. Lightning doesn't leave her own behind even if it means getting dragged into yet another war. She's not a good fighter for nothing, after all.]

No, but there's no way I could have survived. We were over-run and trapped with no way to get out. Not much else could have happened.

[lif]

[ In fairness, Fang's never really shown her guilt-ridden side to anyone but Vanille and, just a bit, Sazh. When the whole damn thing is your fault, then yes, what happened was just, and should've been the end of it. Like Fang needed to make more trouble for her family or Cocoon. ]

Whatever happened to making the impossible possible?

[soggypastry]

[So they're all keeping secrets. Nothing new there, and regardless of Fang's guilt, Lightning wasn't going to leave her family to rot as crystal forever. It just wasn't her way. Not that it mattered much in Johto, but still.]

You try doing that when you can't stand up or hold your weapon straight against an army. Orphan was easy in comparison.