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[sparkstrikes]

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[amisistia]

I've been hearing some interesting things around the house. One of them was that you and my brother were pretty close when he was here last.

[ she is being about 0.5% serious with this, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested. after all, it's basically in the little sister job description to tease and annoy their older siblings. Iris is just sneaky about it. ]

Now that he's back, I gotta wonder. What are your "intentions" with Gladdy?

haha that poor edit button

[sparkstrikes]

[This is the last thing Lightning expected when she got the message. The absolute last thing. There's a long, looooong silence, and for a while it might seem like she's "hung up" entirely, but the brief sensation of a shock that passes through the mental connection to Iris during it will give away that she's still there. It won't hurt, but it'll feel like a tickle.

Is Iris Amicitia giving Lightning Farron the shovel talk!? Just... give her a second. Or five. Ten, maybe? No, thirty. Yeah. Thirty.

... Forty-five.

She's glad for this being just voice, because if it were anything more than that, or a conversation face-to-face, Iris would be able to see that the colour in Lightning's face is identical to that of a ripe tomato. Clearing her throat, she finally answers.]

.... Who told you? [Like it wasn't obvious enough?]

[amisistia]

[ Iris is also incredibly glad that she opted for voice only, because it disguises how hard she's trying to hide her smile. she'll wait patiently for Lightning to speak up again - it gives her plenty of time to formulate a plan. ]

I figured it out myself. [ read: she eavesdropped. ] And besides, it's not hard to tell what people are feeling around here.

[ that part is true. there's been something lighter in the atmosphere around Gladio lately that she's taken notice of, but he hasn't said anything to her directly. ]

[sparkstrikes]

Right. The emotion thing.

[Betrayed by Emotion Island again. That's not to say that she's been good at hiding it, either. Ever since she's started staying, the residents of the Eos house may have noticed a few stray red petals laying about, likely where she and Gladio met for a brief, and maybe even a normal, conversation. Lightning's tried to collect them as best as she could, but half the time, she doesn't even notice they're there. Damn it, she'll have to start paying more attention...]

I don't... have any intentions? I mean– [Wait, let her rephrase that!] I don't know. Yeah, we were close... once.

[Now? Well... She can't really make that call alone, nor does she want to. and we aren't done the thread yet!]

[amisistia]

[ she had the intent to joke around Lightning a bit, but she's realizing now that the topic might be more sensitive than she initially thought. ]

I'm just teasing. If anything, I bet should be telling him what a jerk he was for disappearing on you.

[ she knows it wasn't his fault, just as much as it wasn't hers for her own disappearance. she just wants to try and lighten the mood. ]

And... I know you wouldn't need it in the first place, but I wanted to say that you've got my little sister blessing. I think you're way too cool for him, but that's not my call to make.

[sparkstrikes]

[Sometimes (see: all the time), Lightning takes things way too seriously. Someone needs to teach her to loosen up a bit! In her defense, Iris sounded pretty serious about it, nor is it a topic that she takes lightly. Still, knowing that it had meant to be a joke, it does make her laugh – not just mentally, but out loud... and it probably looks really awkward to anyone watching her.]

A little sister's blessing... [The most important blessing. For a moment, she wonders how Serah would handle all of this.] Not so sure about the 'cool' part. Turns I'm the one who messed up more than once.

[The house probably smelled like coffee for weeks.

She's genuine about the next part, and rather than a little tickle of a shock, there's warmth instead.]

Thank you. He's... a good man.

[amisistia]

[ if she needs someone to teach her to loosen up, Iris is her girl! she just wants to make sure she doesn't touch a nerve - she wants to get to know Lightning properly, especially if she's got history with her brother. ]

Nobody's perfect. And if anything, you guys have something like a fresh start now, right? That's gotta count for something.

[ as always, she tries to look on the bright side. there's lost time to make up, but Iris can't imagine that rekindling that kind of relationship would be that bad, especially if it's mutual. ]

Yeah, he's pretty awesome. Don't tell him I said that, though.

[sparkstrikes]

[No nerves touched here! Lightning is on-edge with just about everything, especially in the romance department. Despite having been in one for several months with him before, this is still brand new territory for her. If anything, she's pleasantly surprised that Iris even reached out to her at all, now that she's gotten over the initial embarrassment.

A fresh start does sound kind of nice, though... and that seems to be the direction they're heading.]

I don't think he needs anyone to tell him that. [Sometimes she wonders if he's got more ego than abs. just kidding] So is this how all Amicitias give the talk?

[amisistia]

[ she wants to be friends with Lightning! even if she wasn't courting her brother, she knows that she means a lot to Ignis as a friend. people like that should stick together, and she seems pretty badass to boot. ]

I think it's just me, actually. I've never brought anyone home to face Gladdy... He'd probably scare them off before getting a word in.

[sparkstrikes]

[Lightning's mental snort is robust enough that it makes it through to Iris.]

Hm. Does he think he's scary?

[Is that what he tells himself? Or tells his little sister? Really, Gladio.....?]

[amisistia]

No idea. I guess it helps that he's tall... But then he opens his mouth.

[ he could definitely be intimidating if he wanted to, but Iris knows that he's a goofball not-so-deep down. she's not afraid of him in the least - his enemies, on the other hand... ]

I bet he'd get a kick out of it if you asked.

[sparkstrikes]

[Yeah, and then he starts talking about Cup Noodles and any hope of him being intimidating is gone. Granted, he could probably use that to scare any prospective suitors and it would be just as effective as standing there, arms crossed over his chest and saying nothing at all.]

I'll remember for next time, and let you know how that goes.

[There's a pause, and then:]

Hey, Iris...

[amisistia]

[ one of her biggest fears is that the Cup Noodle obsession is hereditary. maybe one day she'll wake up and start reciting promotional scripts that have been latently with her since birth... it makes her shudder. ]

You better. I want to hear his reaction.

[ she giggles, but it quiets slightly when Lightning addresses her. ]

What's up?

[sparkstrikes]

[Maybe she'll even remember to broadcast it live to Iris. It'll be their little secret. :)

The typical hardness in Lightning's voice is gone, and she sounds a bit... sheepish? Shy, almost.]

Thanks. For looking out for him, and... [Ah. She's so bad at this.] And allowing me to, too. I know how important it is, and... it, uh... means a lot.

[amisistia]

You don't need to thank me for that. It's a little sister's job to keep an eye out for their older sibling every once and awhile.

[ she vaguely remembers Ignis mentioning that Lightning had a little sister, too. hopefully the sentiment resonates with her. ]

You make him happy. That's good enough for me.

[sparkstrikes]

Yeah.

[The mention of siblings brings further softness to Lightning's voice, and even trying to stifle the sadness that lingers there, her worry is still distinct. She can't help but wonder how Serah is doing... or if she even knows about what Lightning's been up to since she packed her bags and left for the Eos house. Even being apart, she has no doubt that it's Serah who's always looking out for her.

She can only hope that her sister will have the opportunity to meet him someday (she has no idea that they've already become acquainted), and maybe even Iris, too.

Lightning isn't going to be a Debbie Downer, though! At least, not within this mental link.]

He's lucky to have a sister who can take care of him. Etro knows he can't do it himself.

[ :) ]