023 [Video/Action for Ecruteak] {backdated to early evening}

[soggypastry]

[Hello, Johto; it's thankfully later than the last time this feed came on, but much noisier. The hustle and bustle of a Pokémon Center is pretty recognizable, as is Lightning's face as she prepares to speak; someone's got a phone call to make, only...there's a problem.]

"Excuse me. Miss Lightning Farron?"

Yeah. What is it?

"This arrived for you

Comments

[video]

[soggypastry]

[Too many bros, too many sibs, too many friends. Sucks to be the ones left behind, really. Still, she's shaking her head a bit; pinksis is trying to remain strong! ...not that it's really working.]

Don't be. We'll....we'll see him again.

[video]

[soggypastry]

Yeah. Won't let anything or anyone stop us, either.

[Both will be appreciated, but the range might take a bit; they're...headed in the other direction from Olivine, more likely than not.]

[action]

[usedroar]

[ Quietly knocking at the hotel room after work. ]

I'm coming in.

[ He knows that if he asks her if she wants company, she'll say no, so he just gently swings the door open. ]

[action]

[soggypastry]

[She would have said no because she doesn't want anyone to see her like this, but she doesn't stop the door from opening. Instead she just stays seated on the edge of her bed, both hands still wrapped around Alexander's pokéball. She looks up at Leon as he comes in, the back down at the ball. She hasn't been crying or anything like that, but...maybe it would be better if she had been. At least then she wouldn't look so lost despite her experience in this mess.]

Thought I'd be used to this by now.

[action]

[usedroar]

[ He pauses in the doorway, letting it shut quietly behind him. Barely any light filters through the curtains, leaving them in grey half-darkness. Without a word, he kicks off his boots and pads over to the bed, sitting next to her. One arm wraps around her shoulders, letting her lay her head against the fur on his collar. He knows she's strong, Light's never been the type to cry--but he knows she isn't impervious to pain, either. ]

Don't think there's ever any getting used to it.

[action]

[soggypastry]

[And lay her head against the fur on his collar she does, resting her cheek on it as her grip on that single pokéball tightens. He's right, after all. There is no getting used to it. Not when it's family that just left you behind.]

Yeah...even knowing they're safe doesn't make it easier.

[video]

[puppet_paladin]

...I'm sorry.

[Because what else can he say, with everything that's happening?]

[video]

[soggypastry]

[A headshake on her end; either everything else, what else is there to say? Kain, Hope, everyone else...they're just being left behind again.]

Don't be. He's with his father and the others now.

[Snow, Serah, Sazh...they'll take good care of him. She knows that much and it's the only reason she hasn't fallen apart yet.]

[video]

[puppet_paladin]

But you still lost him.

[And really, at the moment he worries much more about Lightning than about all those lovely people he's barely met, no matter how many Paladin Codes that breaks.]

[video]

[soggypastry]

It's not the first time. Don't worry about it.

[Though it still hurts the same. No getting used to losing people, especially when there's no chance to say goodbye before they vanish.]

[Video]

[tiercelet]

[Oh, Lightning...]

Are you going to be all right?

[Video]

[soggypastry]

[Second verse, same as the first, eh Merlin?]

Yeah. Not much else I can be. He's with his father again now.

[With the rest of their family. Safe. Hopefully, anyway.]

[Video]

[tiercelet]

[He was in the same boat a while ago--he knows how this feels.]

Even if you know that, it doesn't make it hurt any less. [Hesitates.] I know we haven't talked much, but...d'you need someone to...you know... keep you company?

[Video]

[soggypastry]

No...no, it doesn't. Don't think it ever will. [Sigh, then a startled pause. It takes a bit, but slowly, a faint smile makes an appearance, and she shakes her head. Maybe they should talk more, but for now...]

I have someone with me, but...thanks, Merlin. For offering.

video

[newhero]

[this is hard on him, too, after having Hope as a good friend and-- more often than not-- the voice of reason between them, but making sure Lightning is all right is a priority.]

Hey, Lightning?

video

[soggypastry]

[It's hard on all of them, really; Hope was friends with a lot of people and they're all going to miss him.

But Sora doesn't need to worry. Lightning's all right. Really! ...maybe.]

Yeah?

video

[newhero]

... You remember what I told you a while back, right?

[he means writing letters-- there aren't very many other subjects he can approach right now, not when a friend's gone home.]

video

[soggypastry]

[A nod; she remembers well. She actually almost wrote one to Sora when he poofed last time, too.]

Yeah. I'm just nowhere near the ocean right now.