video; (forward-dated to June 19th, late afternoon)

[lightstrike]

To those who've met her, Serah Farron's not in the city anymore. [Light's keeping her face as straight as possible. Why emote in front of all these strangers?] It's been over a week since her disappearance. She may have been sent back home.

[Which is... honestly better for her, as far as Lightning is concerned. She's her big sister, and she'd have liked to spend more time with Serah, but she has a duty. They both do, but better for Serah to do hers, because it's far more important.]

To the newcomers: take this as a sign that we'll go home someday. No one knows when, but someday it will happen.

[And that's enough of an announcement for today. Just talking about it hurts her.]

Comments

[forcowardice]

Do we know for a fact that people get sent home? Just, um. Curious.

[lightstrike]

I've been home once. Just for three days in this world, but much longer at home.

[forcowardice]

Ah! Well, there you have it. Proof.

That's a comfort to know. Sorry about your friend, though. I, erm. I assume that was your friend you were speaking of, anyway.

[lightstrike]

You're mistaken about that. She's my sister.

[forcowardice]

Sisters can be friends. I assume.

Er. Anyway. Sorry about your sister. I don't have any siblings, so I don't really know what that's like.

[lightstrike]

She's where she needs to be. [Meaning, don't say sorry.] So it's better for her to be there than here.

video;

[noparachute]

[Steve had figured out that Serah was Lightning's sister, it wasn't too hard after the memory he got from her. Still, he never exactly lost someone that close to him in this place, mostly just friends that were sent back home.]

Your sister, right? [He was pretty sure that Lightning was glad she was back home. But it still was upsetting to see someone go.] I'm sorry, Light.

video;

[lightstrike]

Don't be. It's better for her to be there than here. What she's doing... is important.

video;

[noparachute]

[Something important that Serah needed to do. Steve knew what it was like to have someone close be far away because he was doing his duty.]

Probably is better. Doing what needs to be done. [He wasn't going to deny that, that would be disrespectful for one.] But doesn't stop us from missing their presence here.

video;

[lightstrike]

[Damn it Steve, don't tell her that. She doesn't need anyone else telling her what she already knows and is avoiding. It's bad enough that she hasn't see her sister in such a long time, and to have had her for only a few short months makes Lightning miss her even more.

She doesn't even reply to that, just looks away from the camera.]

video;

[noparachute]

[He knew this wasn't easy for her, even though she was very composed still. But that was what soldiers did, at least a lot of them.]

...Wanna grab somethin' to drink? [It was a slightly awkward suggestion, but it was something that popped in his mind.] Or spar?

video;

[lightstrike]

[She's glad he's not pursuing the matter any longer.]

A drink would be better. [Especially when she has no interest in fighting right now.]

[Video]

[toughtalk]

[Now that's what she wanted to hear, whether or not it was good news for Lightning or bad.]

So there is a way out... Some kind of exit.

[Video]

[lightstrike]

In a way. People get sent back home somehow. Some come back here, but others don't.

[Video]

[toughtalk]

So what you're saying is...it's random.

[Just great. She even huffs a sigh in frustration.]

Place seems full of logic like that.

[Video]

[lightstrike]

Because it is. If you ask the Welcome Center, they will tell you that they don't control, who comes here, and when they come. The same goes for leaving.

I was sent home somehow-- but I didn't find an actual exit out. I spent a long time in my world, but when I came back here, only three days had passed.

[Video]

[toughtalk]

[That's...a lot of information to take in, so Chromia puts a hand to her chin, thinking it over. So from what this woman's saying, no one knows when they go back or if they stay there. But...that last part gets her the most of all.]

When you went back, did you miss much?

[Video]

[protomensch]

Sent home?

[That's... not exactly the best of outcomes, all things considered.]

As we are, or as we were?

[Video]

[lightstrike]

As you were. You're sent to the exact time you were taken. You don't remember anything about Saeng Seong, there's no evidence of it on you at all, and no one will notice that you actually left.

[Video]

[protomensch]

Well, that explains why I've never heard of this place until I got here.

What if [A momentary, if not almost imperceivable pause] we don't really have anything to return to?

[Video]

[lightstrike]

[... Oh. Does that mean what she think it means? She doesn't want to ask though.]

I don't know the answer to that.

[Video]

[protomensch]

Wonderful.

[The flatness of his tone helped to fill in the details, but by now there wasn't much point in subtlety.]

No warning, no say in it? Just... blink and you're there, like when we arrived?

[ofsongandstrings]

[Ever since their first meeting, she's found it awkward to approach her, but with this message on the network... it struck a familiar chord in her.]

I am sorry, miss. It is rough... being away from those you care for. [ Something she knows all too well, and something that was far too obvious by the tone Lightning used. ]

I know I did not leave the best of impressions when we first met, but if there is anything you need... just ask.

[lightstrike]

Don't be. [Don't be sorry, don't be charitable, just don't, pretty much.]

Everything will be fine, even if she's not here.

[ofsongandstrings]

[Her ears lower as she visibly retracts. She'd done something wrong and made things worse, it was obvious, even if she'd only meant well.

...Maybe she should never have responded in the first place.

Y'akeno holds her tongue, bowing her head slightly with hand over her heart, before fiddling with the terminal and ending the feed.]