[Accidental Voice/Action]

[voidseeing]

[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.]

Comments

[Action]

[selphie_t]

They don't really sound like a lot of fun, do they? And who wouldn't put up a fight against these tin cans?

[She kicks at the arm of one and watches as it only moves a couple of inches.]

[Action]

[voidseeing]

Even less fun than the ones they inflict on us every month.

[At least some of those are relatively entertaining.]

[Action]

[selphie_t]

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

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

[Action]

[voidseeing]

[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.

[Action]

[selphie_t]

[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?

[Action]

[voidseeing]

[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.

[Action]

[selphie_t]

[Selphie's judging from the retort that she'd just gotten from Gai that it was definitely not nothing. She does know though that everyone has their own secrets to hide and things they don't want to share with others unless they have to. She gets it; she's the same way after all.

She won't pry unless he feels like sharing and shrugs her shoulders as a result.]

If you say so.

[She'll focus on something else in the meantime.]

You and Law sure made quite the mess down here. I heard the noise and came running but just how many of them were there coming after the two of you?

[Action]

[voidseeing]

[The subject change is definitely welcomed; now he smirks, looking rather proud of himself.]

Not sure. I think there were at least a dozen of them. They weren't taking their chances with us, that much was obvious.

[And they cleaned up pretty nicely, all things considered.]

[Action]

[selphie_t]

And I would like to think that they picked a fight with the wrong people this time.

[Selphie approves of the mayhem that went down.]

[Action]

[voidseeing]

You'd think right.

[As sore and tired as he is, he's still here inside the barrier. That is a definite victory in his book.]

[Action] - suddenly finding myself wondering what Selphie's void would look like

[selphie_t]

I usually do when someone looks like they can kick ass and take names while doing it.

[No Gai, this is not an open invitation for a sparring match.]

[Action] - HMM, that's a good question!

[voidseeing]

[Too bad, because he'll take it as one anyway.]

You're welcome to find out for yourself if you want to go up against me. I'm always looking for more sparring partners to keep myself from losing my edge.

[Action] - Probably something related to her limit break.

[selphie_t]

[Oooooh, is that a dare Mr. Tsutsugami? The challenge caught her off guard a little bit before she's giving him a confident grin.]

On one condition.

[Action]

[voidseeing]

Oh yeah? And what's that?

[It might be a dare. What can he say? He's curious.]

[Action]

[selphie_t]

[Selphie's tone of face and demeanor change to one that conveys how serious she is about this.]

Don't go easy on me just because I'm a girl.

[Action]

[voidseeing]

You've got yourself a deal.

[And, honestly, he wouldn't have thought of going easy on her anyway. He's worked with more than enough women to know that they can fight every bit as hard as men can.]

[Action]

[selphie_t]

Name a date and time and I'll be there with bells and whistles on!

[If Gai was going to go easy on her, Selphie would've lost a great deal of respect for him.]

For now though... think we should get started on cleaning this mess up?

[Action]

[voidseeing]

Don't bother. The Malnosso will come clean it up eventually. Why do the work ourselves when they'll take care of it for us?

[Action]

[selphie_t]

Lack of anything better to do with ourselves?

[She shrugs her shoulders before kicking at a busted piece of droid.]

Or we could hunt down every screwdriver in Luceti and see what we can learn about these suckers by taking them apart?

[Action]

[voidseeing]

People have tried. From what I know, we've already learned everything that we can from these things-- the droids usually take the most important parts back with them just to keep us from getting our hands on them.

[He glances over at the parts that remain, not expecting to see anything that would be of any use.]

[Action]

[selphie_t]

[Selphie puts her hands on her hips before she huffs at the wreckage.]

Fine! Ruin a gal's fun why don't you.

[Action]

[voidseeing]

What can I say? I like to make an impression.

[And he doesn't particularly care whether it's a good one or not.]

[Action]

[selphie_t]

[Then she probably didn't make a very good first impression then, huh? Selphie looks up to stare at the sky beyond the dome for a little bit.]

When putting someone in their place when they don't understand something is an impression, I'd say that makes you a pretty good leader then.

[Action]

[voidseeing]

[That actually amuses Gai a great deal-- not that he'll let it show. He knows quite well that his charisma derives from being an effective leader, not from being a nice person. Hearing someone say that out loud... well, he finds it entertaining.]

Heh. Only as long as you understand it after that.

[Action]

[selphie_t]

A lot better than I did but at least I'll know of at least one person I know who can fill me in on the details.