[video/action] [backdated to yesterday]

[focustrigger.livejournal.com]

[The camera is static, as the feed starts. Serah's sat at the living room table in the house, the flowers that Basch gave to Lightning just visible to her left. She looks tired, exhausted - and her eyes are red. It's not been long since she found out what happened the night before, after calling Basch, and why Lightning never came home. It's only taken her a few minutes to set up the feed, and she hasn't told any of her friends what's happened, yet. And even though she feels like her world is crashing, she has to let the people who cared about Lightning know before it does.

After a moment's quiet, she swallows, looking towards the camera, her eyes glassy.]

Some of you won't... know me. I'm Serah Farron... Lightning's sister.

Sis has- sorry, Lightning has-

[pause. every word that follows, her voice is on the edge of breaking.] Lightning's gone home.

[She's silent, before wiping at her eyes, and the feed ends.

A little while later, she can be found still in the living room of the house, arms folded across the table, her head buried into them. Next to her is a photoframe - of her and her sister, back in Bodhum - what she brought back from the world merger.]

Comments

[Action] i am a flailing/wibbling mess from these two threads

[focustrigger.livejournal.com]

[She softly nods into his shoulder. And your jacket might have a few tears on, Snow, as she blinks some more away, just so thankful that he's here and he's hers.] Always.

I promise, too.

[Action]

[rebelpugilist.livejournal.com]

[He's pretty sure he feels those tears already. No complaints here, other than not having a way to bring a stop to them.]

What can I do to make you smile, huh? [Being sad is fine, mourning is normal, but he doesn't want her to dwell.] Anything at all.

[Action]

[focustrigger.livejournal.com]

That's a good question... [Her voice is a little sad, but she does warrant it some thought. An honest smile? She's not sure. Serah thinks on that for a moment. Apart from Lightning being here, she's... not sure exactly what'll make her smile, properly.

After being quiet for several seconds, she pulls back, and looks up into his face.] ... maybe... stories.

[Action]

[rebelpugilist.livejournal.com]

Stories? [He sits up a bit and kisses her temple.] I can do stories. What kind?

[Stories of grand heroism, NORA stories, fairy tales... there were all sorts.]

[Action]

[focustrigger.livejournal.com]

Mm... surprise? [She's all ears. Heroes with their heroines, NORA, heroic tales of knights... she'll listen to anything. The distraction is part of it, the fact that she likes to read, and... just so she can listen to his voice. It's comforting.]

[Action]

[rebelpugilist.livejournal.com]

Alright. [Smiling, he leaned back against the sofa, making himself comfortable, keeping one arm around her shoulders as he did so.]

Let's see... [Might as well go for an oldie but goodie, something sweet and old-fashioned with a happy ending.]

Once upon a time, there was a prince who was anxious to marry a princess. [He punctuated this by placing a kiss against her temple.] Trouble is, she was gonna have to be a real princess. Genuine article. He traveled all across the world, looking for the princess of his dreams, but none of 'em seemed to measure up. There were plenty of princesses to be found, but none of them could be proven to be the real deal. There was always something about them that wasn't the way it was supposed to be, and eventually the prince gave up and went home. He was brokenhearted, because he had searched so long and so hard and had yet to find his princess -- his soulmate.

[Action]

[focustrigger.livejournal.com]

[As he speaks, she keeps her eyes trained up to his face, though her fingers trace undecipherable patterns across his jacket. Apart from that, she relaxes against him, listening, intent, and giving a soft smile at the kiss.]

The poor prince...

[a beat.] And when he went home? Did he ever find her?

[Action]

[rebelpugilist.livejournal.com]

[He grins. Pausing for dramatic effect seems to have worked well.]

That would be spoiling the story, wouldn't it?

One night, back at his palace, a terrible storm came, with thunder and lightning and the rain coming down in torrents. There was a frantic knock at the front gate, and the prince's father, the king, went to answer it. [Apparently these royals didn't have many servants.]

There was a girl outside the gate, standing in the rain. She told the king that she was a lost princess, looking for a place to spend the night. "A princess?" he asked, disbelieving. She was soaked through, the rain had ruined her dress and was pouring out of the toes of her shoes, and her hair was messy and tangled. The king had his doubts, you know? But his wife, the queen, convinced him to let her in, and declared that she had a brilliant plan to find out if the girl was a real princess and called for the court magician to help her.

[Action]

[focustrigger.livejournal.com]

[wince.] It wasn't a bad plan, was it?

[Action]

[rebelpugilist.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm afraid so, princess. [He laughs.] Think you can stomach the rest?

[Action]

[focustrigger.livejournal.com]

[Determined resolve face is go!] Well, I can try.

Might need a hug or two after, though.

[Action]

[rebelpugilist.livejournal.com]

[He grins, pressing another kiss against her temple.] You're pretty brave. Alright then.

So the queen decided she was going to do whatever it took to find out if this girl was really a princess of the royal blood. She decided to test her sensitivity. To do that, she put a single pea under twenty mattresses.[Now that he's at this part, he's sure she's heard this before, but there's something comforting about children's fairytales, he feels. At least for him, there always has been.]

The queen sent the princess to bed, then retired to her own room with the king. The queen knew that only a true princess would be able to feel the pea through all those mattresses. So, the next morning, everyone gathered together in the throne room, waiting anxiously to hear the results of the queen's test.