001 | Action | Lobby/Dorms

[ridethe.livejournal.com]

[Returning to the Garden wasn't necessarily something Lightning was looking forward to. Sure, it had its perks, but she still doesn't consider it home. Home is where her family is and from what she remembers of the Garden, her family certainly isn't here. Admittedly, a small part of her is looking forward to seeing if she remembers anyone here. It would make things easier.

And so she starts her trek to the dorms, duffel bag in hand and steps confident. It wouldn't do much good if she just wasted time in the lobby, after all. She has things to do and even more things to set up. The sooner she could do that, the sooner she could get down to business.]

Welcome back, I guess. [She mutters, completely nonplussed and entirely to herself.]

[ooc; Feel free to intercept her in the Lobby or even the Dorms. c:]

Comments

[ridethe.livejournal.com]

[Give her a moment, Snow. She pauses in the hallway before changing directions and moving towards the familiar figure. Worst that happens is she's hallucinating.

And once she gets close enough:] ...Snow?

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[And from around Snow's rather large mass, a rather familiar head peaks out once she hears his name in a voice that's all too familiar.]

Lightning? [Eyes widening, she grabs Snow's hand and more or less tugs him over to where her sister is. Not an easy feat considering his size mind you. Then once they're closer she drops his hand and heads over to close what little distance there is between them to wrap her older sister in a hug. It's official, time compression is secretly the best thing ever!] It's really you, isn't it?

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

Sis?!

[Don't think she has to drag him for more than a second! As soon as he processes that amazing sight, he's the one almost tugging her along -- for all the short distance his legs and her enthusiasm make it.]

[By reflex he reaches out as well -- then stops, a bit embarassed, but still grinning. As much as he might want to hug Light after all this time, he figures she wouldn't appreciate it... but he's still happy to see her. So very happy.]

[ridethe.livejournal.com]

[She's almost set to believe her eyes are fooling her until Serah hugs her and it's so real. Lightning doesn't waste any time dropping her duffel bag, wrapping her arms around her sister, and returning the hug. In fact, her hold might be a little tight. Sorry, Serah.

She lifts her gaze her gaze to Snow and swallows that lump in her throat. And she smiles because it's her family. You'll have to forgive her if she can't quite formulate words at the moment.]

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

[He settles for a comfortable middle ground, reaching out to tap her shoulder gently with a fist. It's no hug, but it's casual, fond contact that Lightning from before the Hanging Edge would have never allowed.]

[Don't think for a second he's not nursing that same lump. After all, he just got Serah back -- and now Lightning? It's taking effort to hold back honest tears.]

Hi, Sis.

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[It's okay, she's tougher than she looks! Not to mention Snow, as careful as he is, can still get a little carried away sometimes.

Unlike her stoic or manly family members, she's more than comfortable with letting the tears fall. Lightning and Snow. Her family was back together again and more importantly they were all safe. Of course this probably didn't bode well for her sister's clothes, but somehow it didn't seem likely she would mind.]

I can't believe this is really happening, but it really is! [She squeezes her older sister a little tighter before loosening her hold a little.]

[ridethe.livejournal.com]

[It's a double whammy all at once for Lightning and it takes her a few moments to get a hold on the situation. For a while there she was worried she'd never see them again and... voila. It felt like walking through the Garden's gates was all it took.

She let's up on her hold and pulls back to look at her sister, hands moving to rest on her arms. Her voice holds nothing but relief, her duffel bag long forgotten on the floor. She has so many questions, but she's more than content to just bask in their company for now.] Serah, Snow... How...?

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

Same way as you, I'd guess. One moment we were in Orphan's Cradle, then Orphan did something weird, and...

[He punches his palm. He hasn't forgotten how to do that, in all this time. The gesture made, he takes a long moment to look at Lightning -- comparing her with the image in his head, reacquainting himself with her.]

Serah just showed up a few days ago. Man, just when I thought my week couldn't get any better!

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

The last thing I remember was telling you both to save Cocoon and then suddenly before I knew it I was here!

[She smiles, truly happy to see her sister here as well.] I guess sometimes wishes on stars come true after all too, just like with wishing fireworks.

[ridethe.livejournal.com]

[...Right. Time Compression. That might complicate things since Lightning remembers defeating Orphan and Serah... Well. It doesn't matter though. Not at all.

Lightning watches Serah and Snow, just... basking in the fact that they're here and she isn't even dreaming.] Yeah. I guess they do.

[She shakes her head and releases her sister completely.] I've missed you.

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

Missed you too, Sis.

[His broad, happy smile jolts slightly as a thought hits him.]

Your brand...?

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

I've missed you too. [She still has no idea how long she spent being crystal after all, it could have been ages for all she knows!

She'd been so happy to see her sister, that she'd forgotten all about that fact that Lightning had a brand too. Surely hers was the same as theirs right? Burnt out and strange looking?

Turning anxious eyes on her older sister, Serah echoes his question.]

Your brand's okay right? It's not...active or anything is it?

[ridethe.livejournal.com]

It's gone. It disappeared after we defeated Orphan and Cocoon crystallized. [Along with Fang and Vanille, but that's left unsaid for the moment. She isn't used to talking about this and she hasn't since she found herself at the Garden.

She never expected part of her family to show up here. Not in a million years.]

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

Wait. What?

[To judge by the shock in his eyes, no, Lightning, he hadn't been there for that -- yet, anyway. Time compression!]

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

Time compression doesn't always pull people from the same point in time even if they're from the same world. I've heard people in my classes talking about it.

[She just hadn't thought about how it could affect her family. This was more than a little weird.]

So I guess that means you know our future then, huh?

[ridethe.livejournal.com]

[Thankfully, Lightning expected Snow to be shocked. Serah, however, mildly surprises her. It isn't so shocking that she has a grip on the time compression thing, it's more that she's attended classes already. Just how long had they been at the Garden?

Lightning shrugs some, crossing her arms and pushing her dropped duffel bag out of her mind for the moment.]

Looks like it. Snow's not off by much, though. A lot of things happened after we defeated Orphan.

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

[He absently rubs his left forearm with his right hand, acutely aware of the burned-out brand still visible there. What a weird turn of events -- to be the only one of the three of them to have a brand.]

So you wouldn't have been called a Sorceress, when you came -- how long have you been here, Light?

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[When Snow's hand went for his brand, Serah unknowingly did the same thing, hand covering the white mark on her arm absently. It's a little weird really, walking around without it being covered, but she's slowly getting used to it.

There really wasn't anything for her to say though, so she just stands there for now watching her two favorite people talk.]

[ridethe.livejournal.com]

[The attention to their brands doesn't go unnoticed. It's strange to be the only one without one, really, and Lightning has to fight the urge to look down towards where her brand used to be.

She shakes her head and then hesitates.] A little over a year.

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

Wh-- where have you BEEN, Lightning?!

[He slaps a hand to his forehead, midway between laughter and frustration.]

I've been here almost exactly as long, except when I got here they went nuts because they saw me use magic! I had to cut a deal to be a lab rat for Dr. Odine's crew till they finally decided I was serious about not planning to kill everyone!