Discussion at Dusk

[soggypastry]

Who: Lightning Farron (soggypastry) and Sasuke Uchiha (beforethedarkness)
Where: House of Minnie, Olivine.
When: Evening or March 26th
Summary: Arguments happened. Now it's time to explain why.
Rating: G? Will change as needed.
Log:

[It had been a surprise to get Sasuke's text. Sure, they were still in the house, but relations between the ninja and the former l'Cie had been...frigid to say the least. She hadn't expected it to come so soon, but nearly two weeks wasn't soon.

Still, she said she'd come when he called and she did, slipping out the back door when he texted her they had time to talk. She's got her boots on, but her footsteps are still quiet as she walks to the railing and says nothing to him. He'll talk when he's ready. She won't press him this time.]

Comments

[beforethedarkness]

[He had been enjoying the setting sun a little, taking in the warming weather as he finally heard Lightning coming out to talk to him. When the sliding door behind them was closed, he let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

There was no turning back, but what did he want to say?

Eventually, something came to mind, although the question is clearly hesitant.]

What do you really think about us?

[soggypastry]

That you're kids. [She looks at him, wind playing with her hair as she looks him up and down.] Kids who don't know the way this world works in comparison to their home. Kids who need to be taught certain things before they learn the hard way and can't come back from it. I haven't seen anything that says you're not those kinds of kids yet, Sasuke.

[beforethedarkness]

I've fought alongside you before. It didn't seem like you thought that then.

[There wasn't any heat in his tone -- he had no intention of fighting with Lightning then, even if it was hard to keep himself from revisiting that hurt that had been plaguing him for so long.]

And that was before you knew that we're ninja for certain.

[soggypastry]

That was before your behavior got more reckless than it already was. Back then, your training didn't matter.

[She pauses a moment, trying to figure out how to say what she has to say, then:]

Knowing you're a trained combatant makes your behavior make even less sense. If you're trained by anyone who wanted you to be more than a martyr, then you know what not to do to take care of yourself. You'd know not to go charging off when still injured as badly as you were, and you'd know to follow orders. Without that training, you're just a kid who doesn't listen to people who do know better about things in this world. Around here, that's what matters more than where you're from or what you knew.

[beforethedarkness]

I was never planning to go in by myself or I wouldn't have called you for help.

[A sigh. He knew she meant Ilex Forest, but that really wasn't what was bothering him then. Time to tell her the same thing he told Ren.]

It doesn't matter how capable you and Hope are. You still could have gotten into a bad situation against Bowser, especially with how he plays. I've seen it happen before, and I wasn't going to leave you behind while there was still a chance of that happening.

It happened to my squad leader -- he got trapped by the enemy in the middle of a conflict. If we had run when he told us to, he would have died and the one who killed him would have killed the rest of us as well. By facing him when we did, we all got out alive, and... That's more important to me than following orders.

[He had to take a moment to breath, his eyes closed as he focused on the music for a bit.]

I didn't want the same thing to happen to you, and I thought I was at least strong enough to back you up at this point, not be in the way on the field.

[soggypastry]

[She listens to him as he speaks, taking in his words and frowning faintly. A squad, the leader of which got into a sticky situation and out of it only because of a team that didn't listen. She gets how he can make that parallel, really, and protecting his own is something she understands. Respects it, too, but...]

Bowser doesn't play fair. You and your team were all tired from the battle you had before. Hope and I were fresh entries to the field, with over a full team of Level 100's between us. We'd have been fine, you know.

[That's putting it logically, but she's not done yet.]

I understand how you feel about this, but what would have happened if we'd fallen and your teams couldn't handle Bowser? If you'd all fallen with us? [She tilts her head, waiting for his answer.]

[beforethedarkness]

Then I would have at least tried instead of standing by and doing nothing. Then, I wouldn't have been a coward.

[He bowed his head a little, seeming almost defeated by that point.]

... You won't need to come rescue me anymore. I'm not just a stupid kid, and I will get stronger. I won't disappoint you again.

[soggypastry]

It's not cowardice to survive to fight another day, you know. [Her tone had been quiet before, almost kind. But now...now there's a hard note in it. Something that speaks of experience, and she turns away to look at the waves for a long moment. This is clearly bothering him. She can see that. Hear it in his voice. She's just not sure what to do about it to help.

...Ah, hell with it. In for a gil, in for a pound.]

Did anyone ever tell you that I was in the military before coming here?

[beforethedarkness]

... No. But I would've been surprised if you weren't.

[soggypastry]

I was. For a long time. [she sighs, then looks at him again.] What I'm getting at with this is, I've been trained in squad based combat. The situation we ran into with Bowser was a mess. There were injured and unprepared people to defend, and no time to clear the field or call for more reinforcements to deal with an ambush.

[She looks him in the eye to be sure he gets that, then:]

Leaving an unfair fight to regroup, if you have the opportunity, is something that every squad in my world is taught. My disappointment isn't that you couldn't fend him off without needing to call me, or even that you needed help at all. It's that you didn't listen and take your chance to go while he was distracted. He was after you, and we were buying you time to run.

[Now that the anger isn't flying, she hopes her words make a little more sense. Logically, anyway. If he thinks he's a disappointment, he may not get it anyway.]

[beforethedarkness]

[He did meet her eye, if only briefly. His gaze went back to the ocean as he just listened, taking in the words. It's... Really, really hard to swallow it, but he knows he has to. Eventually he did nod, closing his eyes while he did.]

I get it.

[soggypastry]

[Swallowing it's all well and good, but if he won't follow it? If he doesn't get it or won't listen in a crunch period? She has to be sure he understands. The way he was taught, the way he feels, is undoubtedly different than the way she was and does, but...]

So what'll you do if that kind of situation happens again?

[beforethedarkness]

...

If I'm in no condition to fight it's better for everyone if I retreat. Even if it feels wrong.

[soggypastry]

[A slow nod. He gets some part of it, at least.]

That's right. You'd do us all more good if you're safe in that kind of condition. When you're in better shape and your team is in fighting condition, then you can stay and fight. [she pushes her bangs from her eyes, then:] I don't doubt you'll get another chance at Bowser if you want to prove yourself. I wasn't kidding when I said he was probably already nursing a bigger grudge.

[beforethedarkness]

I know. Next time, I'm going to be ready for him.

[He nods and leans back on his good arm, eyes focused on the ocean. He said he's going to be ready but... At the same time, it's still hard to get over that he's lowered her opinion of him this time. It still hurts, but not quite as much as before now that they've actually talked about why. It's something he can change, at least it feels like he can...]

[soggypastry]

[She 'hmm's softly, and it seems that the conversation is over. Leagues above the last one, at least, so there's that, but she still turns around to look up at a window on the upper level and then at the door. No warning from Zan or Lucky. Probably best to wrap this up before that comes.]

You should go back inside before someone decides to burst out here and check on us.

[beforethedarkness]

Mm.

[He gets to his feet then, pausing briefly before he looks at her again.]

... Thanks.

[Who knows what it's for; talking to him, listening, or explaining her points are all options. He doesn't pause to explain however, instead continuing on his way back into the house once it's been said.]