voidseeing | [Accidental Voice/Action]

[The journal pops open as it hits the ground, the camera pointed straight upwards into the trees. There's nothing to be seen other than branches and leaves, and at first it may seem like just an accident... but the sounds that it picks up make it very clear this isn't just someone being careless and letting their journal fall out of a bag. In fact, the very first thing that anyone will hear is the sharp report of a gunshot, followed immediately by yelling.]

Law! Behind you!

On it. Room. [There’s a flash and the branches and leaves are now washed out by a blue glow. There’s the sound of a growl, the snap of electricity, and then an explosion.] Watch out! They’re swarming!

[Two more gunshots echo over the journals.]

Damn it... how many of them are there?

Can’t tell yet, Gai. [More explosions, and the crack of wood being torn apart. Then the groan and thud of trees crashing down.] They’re still coming out of the woodwork.

[Another shot.]

Guess we should be honored they felt we needed this much of a welcoming committee.

Goodness knows I’m flattered. [Metal clanging.] Perhaps this is what they think consists of therapy. [A crack.] Ugh. Well, if they’re offering, who am I to refuse? I’ve got a few issues to work out…

Too bad I prefer my therapy to be one on one.

[Another clang, then a thud. There's another wash of light, this time silver rather than blue-- a light that should be very familiar to a certain Shu Ouma if he happens to be looking into the journal while all of this is going down.

The sounds of combat continue for a while longer, at last dwindling down to an almost painful silence. This silence lingers for a long moment, heavy, until Gai's voice finally breaks it, exhausted yet triumphant.]

... they'd better not charge us for that session.

[Anyone who happens by the Battle Dome after this little spectacle will be treated to the sight of a battered and exhausted Gai and Law surrounded by droid fragments and damaged trees. They're in surprisingly good spirits considering what just happened, though some healing would be very much appreciated right about now.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

I think you'll be pleased with the results. We might even end the draft early if we're competing as such. There won't be any enemies left on the battlefield for anyone to fight! A pity. But I don't mind hogging all the fun.

Just as long as you don't hog all of it and leave some for me. The Battle Dome can't hold a candle to real flesh-and-blood opponents, no matter how realistic those holograms may be. They don't have the same kind of unpredictability that makes things fun.

[The look Gai gives Shu is a questioning one, but he gets the feeling that this is something that's important to Shu, and that allowing the other boy to do it would do wonders for his self-esteem. So rather than protest or question, he just heads to get a bowl from a cupboard and then fill it with hot water.

Once that's accomplished, he'll bring it back and hold it out, waiting for whatever Shu is going to do next.]

You've been learning a lot here.

[So how was he supposed to do this again? Shu only saw an explanation of how to do this one time so he's not entirely confident that it'll work. He knows that he has no choice but to continue. Shu starts boiling some twigs and bark from a fir tree.]

I owe it all thanks to my new friends here. They know things that I don't. Iris says that drinking this should help your muscles relax. If you ever get the chance to speak with her, you should thank her.

You don't want me to hog it all? Then you'd better keep up. [He'll do it too. Acting like a lawn mower can be fun sometimes...] And if you mean unbelievably incompetent instead of unpredictable then I think you'd have it right. No combat sense, not a single one of them.

Don't give them ideas. They're probably watching us and trying to find what other new ways to make us all suffer.

[Gai just smirks.]

What makes you think they need ideas? They don't seem to have any trouble coming up with those on their own.

That's exactly what I meant: a simulation can't replicate actual human behavior. They don't have any combat sense, and they're too predictable. There's no real challenge to them.

[... wait, hold the phone. Gai was down with this until the word "drinking" was introduced to the equation. Now he just gives the water (with twigs and bark) a very skeptical stare.]

You expect me to drink that?

Don't complain. [Shu's tired don't give him another headache today, Gai. He might pass out at any minute from exhaustion.]

You don't need to eat the twigs. Just drink the water from it.

Then you'd better take the twigs out first, or I'm not touching it.

[And Gai is tired and sore and cranky, so that makes two of them.]

Fine.

[Shu makes an audible complaint before agreeing to it.]

[Meanwhile, Gai will just go take a seat on the couch like a good patient. Sort of.]

[Are they done? As soon as Shu knows that Gai's resting he decides to take a nap. GAI SAID TO DO IT.]

[FINE, SHU CAN TAKE A NAP. He did say that Shu should, and if it will calm him down, Gai is fine with that. Besides, he has two spare bedrooms; he can let Shu crash here for a little while.]

[Shu's talking in his sleep. Gai can probably hear Shu talk about Inori and how much he misses her while he's taking a nap.]

[For once, Gai will actually be a gentleman and not eavesdrop on what Shu is saying. What he will do, however, is drape a blanket over the other boy and shut the door to let him get some uninterrupted sleep.]

Whatever do you mean? [And here comes the sarcasm.]

I just loooooooove being the Malnosso's lab rat, don't you?

[The response Selphie gets is probably not what she's expecting. Gai's tone is angry, his usual iron-clad control slipping for the briefest moment.]

I'm no one's lab rat. Not the Malnosso's, and not anyone else's.

I was talking about the Third Party. They have hardly any combat sense either. Which makes it more fun when I destroy them without having to even try.

[Well it's enough to get her to shut up and look at Gai with a dumbfounded look on her face. That... wasn't quite what she had in mind.]

Uh... was it something I said?

Then that's one thing the two of us both agree on.

[Selphie's startled reaction clues Gai in to the fact that he just practically snapped at her. However, he isn't going to apologize, because that would be admitting to have gotten upset about it.]

It's nothing. Forget I said anything.

So it is, so it is. Well. Perhaps until then?

I'll hold you to it the next time a draft rolls around. I could use a good challenge for a change.

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