.1 caliber [Intro]

[goesawol]

[ACTION]

[She steps down from the bus and tugs at the strap around her shoulder tighter - she travels light, but there's something rather long, carefully wrapped, strapped between her bag and back. Squinting lightly at the warm summer sun, she sighs. Mixed feelings, all in one breath. This lady travels light except for the baggage in her mind.

Still, as she treads through the beaten paths towards an x in a map (excellent orientation skills, for one), she looks around carefully with what seems like a half smile in her piercing gaze. Yet, when she finds the place in the map, she keeps walking around, checking the Community center, the city, - greeting a couple of kids playing outside with a smile - walking through the beach... ending up finally at the Saloon around the evening, asking for a cup of tea at the counter.

Where do you meet her? ]


[VIDEO]

[That's exactly where she is when the video feed opens up. She's looking down at the screen, kohl rimmed eyes scrutinizing the device with a somewhat disappointed expression to them. She tsks.]

So unintuitive. How old is this?

[Dexterous fingers reach the screen and blip! goes the feed

Ring ring?]

Comments

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

I never did get to pull off my triumphant return to the sphere. 'Course the place needs a blitzball stadium in the first place for me to go back to it, so that might be something right there.

I got something to prove.

[It probably isn't what she thinks...]

[goesawol]

Not only you need a stadium, you need people in the stadium. [Not that she thinks that Jecht will have much trouble with that.]

Which is...? [Also a light tone in this question. He has been relatively discrete about his background, so she feels like asking, but not prying.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

There's someone chasing after me.

I can't let him catch up.

[And yet he's so happy about this.]

[goesawol]

Ah, an arch-rival, of sorts, then?

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Heh, yeah. Spent all his life hearing that I was better than him. Hates me so much he'd do anything to get out of my shadow.

Damned if he hasn't done it, too.

[Considering the pride radiating off of him, in his small smile and soft words -- well, Ana, you're clearly digging into something weird, be ye warned.]

[goesawol]

[Ana is a mother, also a bit of a legend, and it's actually very easy for her to identify it.]

... your kid.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Jecht shoots her a sidelong glance.] Hey, if you already know the answers why am I tellin' you this?

[No, really, he figures it's a guess, and he doesn't mind.]

...If I got here, he can too. Don't know if he will. But there's a path.

[goesawol]

[She actually laughs at that.] I do not, but it takes a mother to know.

If there's a will...

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Wouldn't blame him if he went back to Spira though. He's... past chasing me. If he doesn't want to. Heh, he already got past me. [Jecht rubs at his head with the heel of his hand.] But no sense letting him rest easy.

[goesawol]

[She squints.] So when did this... healthy [she hopes] competition start?

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Heh. Thought I wasn't gonna tell ya the whole sob story. [Yeah it's not so good.] Ran on longer than it should, let me tell ya that.

[goesawol]

Oh, you don't have to tell me. I was merely curious.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Aaah, maybe we'll trade someday. [Little note that she's getting a lot out of him and not offering much up at all. Not that he doesn't love talking about himself! But he's curious, he's gotta say.]

[Time enough for all that though.]

I'd say over drinks but that's past for me, so here's hoping you're the type that doesn't mind a guy staying too sober on a fun night out.

[goesawol]

[She smiles knowingly, very much aware that she’s giving away very little.] That sounds alright. The best talks I’ve had were over tea, not alcohol.

[Though that in itself gives her a bit more intel. She stops, looks at the map, and then points at a house far away.] Is that it?

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Jecht checks his own map, then looks over the curve of the path to correlate it.]

Yeah, looks like! Unless there's a secret smaller house we can't see or somethin'.

[goesawol]

Doesn't look like it.

[Cybernetic eye has her scanning the surroundings. No signs of a trap. Yet.]

It looks very cozy.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Oh man, look at that river!

[Jecht's picking up the pace, not even thinking about the possibility of a trap. You coming, Ana?]

[goesawol]

[Go on, Jecht, she's got your back. Even though they only just met, she wouldn't be able to live with herself if the first person she met in this - whatever it is - would end up injured or killed.

So she is following, but her hand is subtly going to her bag, where there's a sidearm.] It does look lovely.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Aaah, Ana, you're secretly a sweetheart, huh?]

[Lucky thing, her paranoia isn't needed today. The river farm doesn't have any troubles, or traps, or dangers unless flowing water's bad. Jecht stalks right on up, parking himself in the middle between the farmhouse and the riverbank, then looks from one to the other, and back again.]

Yeah. This'll do.

[goesawol]

[Still, Ana gives the house a bit of a scan - the perimeter, mostly, if the danger isn't coming from inside. Still, her hand rests down, and she sighs.]

Looks like a perfect place to start over.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Yeah. Looking good.

[He glances over his shoulder, folding his arms.] So, y'want me to come check out yours with ya?

[goesawol]

[Ana tilts her head at him curiously.] You don't want to check inside?

[A look at her map and then she twirls on her heels, looking at the position of the sun to check their coordinates, adjusting the position. She then points at the direction she's now facing] I think mine is that way.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[One corner of Jecht's mouth curls upwards.]

I walk inside and that's when it all becomes real. And when it really hits... who knows what'll happen? And I've still got my pride, especially around a cute girl.

[Because he hasn't had a home since Zanarkand, years and a family ago.]

'Sides, I know you're still a bit iffy on everything. Ain't saying you can't take care of yourself, but everyone appreciates a little backup if they're walking into a situation they're concerned about, right? [Yeah, he'd noticed how she'd been prepared for trouble, still yet.]

[goesawol]

[She does understand that but gives him a soft, sort of wry smile.] There's no shame in being a little afraid of the future.

[Ana sighs.] You've noticed, hm?

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Yeah. I was a guardian. Took a pal the length and breadth of Spira. Got to be called 'legendary' 'cuz me and our third pal got him there safe, which tells ya what that trip was like. Not that I'm sayin' I was that good, but... I get it.

[Jecht starts to chuckle then, warm and amused. How many times had he gotten them into bigger trouble than they needed to be? Whacking shoopfus. Charging into avoidable danger because 'it's the right thing to do'. Yeah, he was a terrible guardian!]

Gotta enjoy life while you have it. So let's check out your place, put your worries to bed, and see if we can get you on board with living!