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]

Yeah. [ She stands up and flashes Lightning a smile as she takes the cloth. ]

Cheer up, Light. There's only so many people I'd let myself get set on fire for, y'know. At least look like you're enjoyin' it.

[ She snaps her fingers, then pulls out a pokéball and releases Taejin, now a Haunter. Bahamut, for his part, now seems extremely unwilling to budge from his spot on the sidewalk as Fang grins at her ghost. ]

C'mon. You'll get a kick outta this.

[ Taejin watches for a moment as Fang strides after Odin, who deftly avoids her. Once he understands, he laughs and chases after them. He is not helping. He's just enjoying the chaos. ]

[soggypastry]

[Enjoy watching her friend get hurt? Yeah, no, Lightning's not that vindictive. She's just watching, peering through her bangs as Odin snorts and avoids both Fang and her ghost, turning this way and that to do so.

He's got the stamina to continue this for a long time, Fang. Do you? Does Taejin? Because he's going to get away sooner or later; there's just too many openings for him to bolt.]

[lif]

[ Not watching injury. Just the dedication of friendship and watching said friend run about the street while you catch your breath. It's Taejin who fades first, getting either tired or bored and merely hovering on the sidelines and watching.

Fang lasts a bit longer, partially due to stubbornness and partially due to the fact that despite her failure, she's having fun with it. Truth be told, there a part of her that misses fighting; not the violence, but the rush of adrenaline and the sheer joy of pushing herself and her abilities to see just how far she can go.

So when she breaks off pursuit and half-sits, half-collapses next to Lightning, she may be trying to catch her breath and still holding the saddle blanket, but she is grinning. ]

Was hopin' I'd surprise us both. But not half bad.

[soggypastry]

[Well, in that case, she still doesn't enjoy it. She's grateful, though, even if it leads to nothing but a slightly more worn down unicorn and a breathless Fang sitting next to her. She does appreciate the effort, truly, and the small smile that appears should say as much.]

Not bad is right, considering you haven't fought anything yourself in a while.

[Yes, Fang, she just implied you're out of shape.]

[lif]

[ She catches that and laughs. Hey, she can take as well as she can give. Especially when she's tired just from chasing a horse around. Even a magical fiery horse. ]

Not what I used to be. But when I got here everyone couldn't stop talkin' about how nice and quiet this place was. Or that we couldn't have weapons.

[ Someone was not a happy camper when she woke up and found her lance missing. ]

Hell with that. Haven't had that much fun in a while.

[soggypastry]

[Fang's good mood is infectious, and Lightning raises her head slightly to smirk now. Seems things are slowly getting back to normal, eh?]

I just figured you'd like to know why you couldn't find your spear, that's all. I know getting you to let go of that thing is like getting Snow to stop saying "hero" all the time.

[lif]

[ Normal is good. Or at least, that smirk is good. ]

You're makin' it sound like I slept with it. I'd rather my bedmates not come with the chance of waking up missin' a finger or two. Figured you'd get that part.

[ Yes, that's a reference to Leon. No, she is never letting the dating thing go. ]

[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.