route_1065 | YAY FOR SISTERLY BONDING

Entry tags:

YAY FOR SISTERLY BONDING

Who:

soggypastry
Where: Goldenrod Hotel
When: The evening before Keybladers + Idol go on a rescue mission
Summary: Rise drops by to say bye to pseudo-sis, and Lightning is sisterly.
Rating: PG-13, probably
Log:

Rise had been standing outside of the closed door for three minutes, her reasons for doing so varied enough so that some were logical (like making sure the bag of chocolate was safely tucked out of sight behind her back) and some were... not (like not looking forward to the look on Lightning's face when she explained why she was leaving).

The idol sighed and tipped her head back just enough to catch a glimpse of the blue and white bird resting comfortably on her hair. "She likes me," she reasoned to the Swablu. "That means she won't bite my head off, right? And I don't want to just leave without at least saying goodbye, especially when I've got no idea how long we'll be gone."

Cotton murmured a drowsy "bluuuuuu" and snuggled down, to which Rise made a false moue and finally raised a hand to knock on the door.

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Lightning had been working on keeping Hopes notes updated for the past two weeks, and had finally gotten some time to work on them, when a knock sounded. Sen gave a cheerful little yip as the woman stood, coming to the door and blinking down at Rise as she opened it. Was something wrong?

"Rise? Is everything alright?" The girl seemed nervous, though Cotton was still sleeping on her head. Granted, that Swablu could sleep through just about anything, from what she'd seen.

"Light--!" Okay, she'd been expecting her to answer, but Rise still jumped a bit when the door swung open. Okay, okay, be casual... and with that thought in mind, she smiled brightly up at the woman and nodded, careful not to dislodge the Swablu.

"Yeah, everything's fine, I just wanted you to know that I'm heading out of town for a little while. I couldn't find a good time to tell you, so..." It was true; Rise had been sequestered in the kitchen for a few days, when she wasn't finalizing plans with Ven, or doing last-minute shopping, or making sure Yayoi didn't inexplicably get into some amount of crab or fire-related trouble. "Oh, and I brought you something!"

There, that hadn't been so bad.

Just very vague.

As a soldier, vague was bad for Lightning. Vague meant lack of intel and trouble going into any situation. As a sister, vague meant worse trouble. She and Rise weren't related by blood, but things had come far between them. So the woman crossed her arms over her chest, one eyebrow raised in question.

"....You're hiding something."

Rise winced-- inwardly. She was far too accustomed to acting to give away the fact that Lightning had noticed immediately, but she was still indecisive about telling her. ... Well, no, that wasn't true. She was planning on telling her, but it was more a matter of how she was going to tell her.

Well, the quickest way was to just say it outright, and she closed her eyes briefly, braced herself, and began.

"You know how Ven was going after Vanitas to get him back after being kidnapped? W-well, I couldn't let him go alone, because he can be kinda an idiot, so I said I'd go too, and Terra and Aqua will be there, so there's really nothing to worry about!"

Except four people trying to break into the base of an evil organization to save someone that none of them were all that fond of, but she wisely didn't mention that part.

That admission made Lightning blink, then heave a sigh. Yes, she had heard about Vanitas getting captured and Ven planning to go after him, but after hearing Sora's explanation for his disappearance, she'd sworn to make a physical point with Vanitas. And now Rise was going to go to rescue him, with a trio of people who didn't realize they were all better off with him kidnapped.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath before stepping aside and clearing the doorway to allow Rise access to her room.

"Get inside. I'm not letting you go unprepared for what you might find."

"Unprepared?" came the dubious question, even as Rise heeded the voice of authority and stepped inside the room. Cotton didn't so much as stir. "I'm pretty sure I packed enough of everything..."

She almost added that this wasn't the first time she'd gone to rescue a kidnapped person, but that would mean explaining the TV world, and the Personas, and the Shadows-- her own included, and that was one topic Rise could never bring up without wanting to drop it almost immediately. Besides, the situation was different. Back then, she hadn't been the one fighting, she'd been support. This was... definitely a different form of danger.

"You can be a pack-chocobo for the rest of your life and not be prepared, Rise. You're going into what might as well be enemy territory to find someone who hurt Ven and Sora." That rubbed Lightning completely the wrong was as she shut the door behind Rise, then walked towards her bag. Warm clothes, blankets, firestarter, medical kit...this would be an infiltration op.

"If you're expecting to get in, get him, and then get out without getting caught and held prisoner, you'll need to pack light and move fast. That means making the most of your pack space and not overpacking." She gave Rise a knowing look, then reached into her bag for the red medical kit she kept in a side pocket. Fully stocked and ready for just about anything Johto could throw at them, she'd feel better if Rise had it with her when she marched into that mess.

Edited 2011-02-10 09:25 (UTC)

Truthfully, it wasn't the idea of sneaking into enemy territory that bugged Rise so much (though, given her druthers, she would have preferred not waltzing into the situation at all). It was rescuing the guy who'd caused so much trouble for everyone, who had hurt someone who was as good as family to her... Vanitas was almost as colossal a bastard as Adachi, and here she was, gearing up to go save him.

Saving someone didn't always equate to saving someone you liked, she reminded herself, and her sigh was a silent one. Vanitas wasn't the only one they'd be trying to bust out of there, but rescuing who-knew-how-many people and getting out of there unnoticed... that would take a miracle. And if it came to that, they'd have to fight their way through. If Lightning was offering help, Rise wasn't stubborn or prideful enough to refuse it.

"Right, right..." She offered an apologetic expression, hands still behind her back. "I might have to toss a few things out, then." She probably didn't need makeup. Really. Naoto would have shook her head.

With the medical kit still in her hand, Lightning returned to the desk and flipped to the back of her notebook. In one smooth motion, she'd torn one page from the end and left no sign it had ever been there, before taking her pen and writing down a list. Warm clothing, blankets, medical supplies, extra food and water for both humans and pokémon...it would have to do. Getting a knife or this worlds equivalent to Gysahl Spray, or even a safety whistle, wouldn't be possible. So Lightning folded the paper on top of the medical kit, extending it out towards Rise.

"Make sure you have everything on the list when you pack. All four of you, if you can." There was something in Lightnings eyes; worry, concern, a hint of tightly controlled anger, and...resignation. She was going to let Rise go without a fight, but not without making sure the girl was ready. That was the least she could do, since she wouldn't be going with them.

She gave the list a quick glance, unable to tell what was on it at the moment-- though she'd be surprised and pleased to learn later that she'd gotten most of the items listed already. Months spent in Johto had given Rise enhanced survival skills that her time fighting in the TV world had cultivated. Not many idols could claim such a thing.

Then again, not many idols would want to.

She had to take the kit, which meant she had to bring out her hands, so in exchange for it, Rise revealed the bag she'd been hiding. The plastic itself was dotted with colorful pink and crimson hearts, and the ribbon she'd gotten from Minnie was a simple cream color-- she hadn't expected Lightning to want something bright and gaudy. And the handmade chocolates inside were absolutely non-spicy.

She accepted the kit and plopped the bag in Lightning's hand with a sheepish grin. Not that she'd missed the look the woman had given her - she felt guilty already for causing her worry at all - but it was better not to call attention to it. She'd do everything in her power not to cause any more of it.

"The tradition's a little different where I'm from," she admitted. "But I like some of what I learned from the others, and since I won't be here for the actual day, I wanted to give this to you personally. Um, I promise none of it's hot. And--" She tapped the kit lightly. "Thanks, Light. I'll make sure to get everything for everyone if we're missing anything that you wrote down."

After a moment of just staring at the bag that Rise had placed in her hands, Lightning nodded. They had something like this back on Cocoon, too. Granted, it was later in the year, but the meaning was the same. Keeping silent, Lightning turned and placed the bag on her desk, out of Sens reach, before she took a breath and turned back to face Rise.

One step. Two steps, and then she had her hands on the girls shoulders.

"Rise, I want you to promise me that you'll be careful. Don't do anything foolish, and if you have to leave Vanitas behind to get out before you're caught, do it. Drag Ven and the others out if you have to, but don't let yourselves get caught." This was what mattered. That they stayed safe. Even if the leftovers from the storm cleared, Odin wouldn't make good enough time to help them. No. Once the four of them left, they would be on their own.

"Wh--" The startled half-exclamation fled from her before Rise could curb it, and she regarded the older female with wide brown eyes. She could be careful; she wasn't as reckless as Chie or as easy to provoke as Kanji, but Rise didn't know if she could abandon anyone. Even Vanitas. That would have been like leaving Adachi behind for the Shadows.

But if they got caught, there went the whole mission. They couldn't save anyone if they got captured. Still...

Rise lowered her eyes, conflicting emotions all too clear on her face when she was too distracted to hide them. She understood why Lightning was demanding this, knew exactly what they were getting into (she'd found at least eleven ways this could go wrong)-- and that was what ultimately led her to a meek nod, even though she couldn't bring herself to meet her eyes just then.

"I promise."

Lightning hadn't meant to startle or scare the girl, but she'd needed to get the message across and she had. So at the promise, she smiled faintly and backed away. That was...really all she could ask. Ven and Terra wouldn't leave until they'd saved everyone they could, she figured, and Aqua wouldn't leave without them. Which left Rise probably the only one clear-headed enough to realize when they'd be in too much trouble and make a run for it. She would have to be.

"That's all I can ask." Of course, if they did get caught, she'd go out there and rescue them herself. Pot, meet kettle.

At least that wasn't too difficult. Being the team's support was Rise's job, after all, and above all else, it meant that she had to be the clear-headed one at all times. Which was why she had to stay back far enough to avoid getting caught in the line of fire. If she lost the ability to summon Kanzeon or turned against Souji, that would cost the whole team, not just her leader.

She fought back a sigh at the thought, sporting a look that stated quite clearly that this wasn't the first time she'd had to do something like this. But after a minute, Rise lifted her head with a smile.

"We'll be back before you know it. I'll even bring you back a souvenir, Light!"

Lightning was always the one rushing into fights, often right behind Snow to counter his idiocy, but she knew that look. She'd worn it a few times herself, and now crossed her arms over her chest.

"Forget the souvenir and come back in one piece. I'd rather have that than some trinket." Rise could take care of herself, and she wouldn't be going alone. But that would be cold comfort if something happened to her and Lightning couldn't help.

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YAY FOR SISTERLY BONDING

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