As The Lightning Strikes [Closed]

[Vyn]

(This is an open rp, anyone is welcome to join. The 'private rp' style beginning is just for the sake of plot development and points, both of which Parvana desperately needs.)

Vana wasn't sure how long she'd been out in the middle of the park, watching the approaching storm build. Dark cumulonimbus clouds coated the horizon, forming the typical anvil patterns of the Cumulonimbus Incus and -- Parvana hoped -- the first true signs of a Supercell storm system.

Thunder rolled in the distance, lighting lept from cloud to cloud, and the wind brought with it the delightful smell of wet earth. Faolin chittered happily on her shoulder, fur crackling with excitement as he picked up the faintest traces of static charging the air.

Parvana had been watching this storm growing over the last few weeks, a dreary sort of waiting filled with summer showers and humid afternoons, and her patience appeared to be paying off. The count between the flash of lighting and the clash of thunder was decreasingly rapidly as the storm rolled over the city and drew ever closer. Vana wanted to achieve her first charge of the night before the rain or -- if her predictions were right -- hail started up.

[Vyn]

Yet, as fast as the storm was moving, it still took an hour before the lighting struck anywhere within Vana's range and the resulting boom of exploding air echoed so loudly that the butterfly shivered involuntarily.

"Up you go, Faolin! Get me a good sample, love!"


With a happy chrring, Faolin did as Parvana instructed and rushed upward into the branches of the closest tree. In his mouth he carried a small lightning rod attached to a long copper wire which remained connected to the small make-shift battery that Parvana had brought with her to the park.

It was the 'safest' alternative to her previous experiments, which usually got her at least one or two good zaps. Not to mention, of course, that she could now get Faolin to reach the harder, more dangerous strike zones. It kept Anatolius from worrying about her while she did her studies and Faolin positively loved being up so close to the source of that beautiful electricity.


Parvana was, in general, just happy that she could occasionally get time away from her work in order to hurry out into the field and do a bit of proper research. Text books were a lovely way of gaining knowledge, especially in the court's library, but there was so much more than you could learn from a hand's on experience like this.

Lost in her reverie of debate, the butterfly failed to notice lightning jumping through the air and, CRACK, striking the lightning rod. Faolin's delighted squeaks followed by the delicious hum of the battery was all Parvana needed to hear to know their 'mission' was a success.

"Alright, Fao! You can come down now!"

[Vyn]

Faolin was back on Parvana's shoulder and chittering happily withing minutes, happily boasting of a job well done and basking in Parvana's praise.

Parvana simply giggled and gave the Mome Rath a brief pat before turning her attention to the equipment that she would need to carry. The battery was relatively small for the amount of power it should pack and Vana would easily be able to transport it in the pack with her coils and rods.

Vana was only half way through packing up her equipment when a sudden increase in the rhythm of the rain caught her attention. In fact, not just an increase in the deluge but a new, heavier beat had incorporated itself into the sound. Hail?

"Oh Suits!"

The remainder of the packing went by much more quickly and with far less care for the instruments she was putting away: better to have them in a soft case than be pelted by ice. There would be no hope of flying either, not in a storm of this quality, Vana would just have to run for the hills -- or the first available Inn -- and hope that her equipment didn't take a beating in the mean time.

[Shinigami]

A heavily-built St. Bernard Card was out in the storm, big body bearing the colors of the Solandrian Glacier, intent gaze looking around for anyone who might be caught outside and having trouble - like a certain butterfly and all of her equipment. He jogged toward the Corvistowne insect and her Mome Rath, oddly-black gaze concerned as he came closer.

"Hail there! Are you alright?" The storm was getting heavier, and the hail was coming closer. In mid-step, he shifted to a bulky, heavy-set Bipedal form, offering broad hands as a help. "I can carry things for you, if you need help," he offered. The Nine of Spades on his chest was nearly lost in the gathering darkness of the storm. Of course, considering that the mark itself hadn't been there until just after Quinn had caught sight of the butterfly and all of her interesting things made that situation just a little more dangerous. It was difficult, some times, for the Joker to remember that most Cards had a mark denoting their rank and suit. Well, it wasn't that she forgot about that particular part, but she forgot to have a regular marking of her own.

Wearing the shape of the big St. Bernard - one of the lesser shapes that she used, but still something that was interesting to use - she had been looking for someone entertaining to bother this dark and dreary day.


[ooc: Only she doesn't actually look like that right now. *grin*]

[Vyn]

With the small pellets of ice pelting her from all directions, Parvana was definitely not alright. Of course, she wasn't about to toss around any sort of attitude about her state of being when someone was offering help and concern -- both were rare commodities among most people.

She especially had no intention of being finicky when a large biped was offering to help her carry what was definitely more suited for his heavily built body than her own dainty one.

"Oh! Thank you so much! Yes, yes I could use a hand!" And very literally so, at that. "The bag is awfully heavy and my form isn't built for running with it."

The butterfly blushed beneath her dark skin, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"There's an inn not much farther, just a little ways into the city, that I was planning on stopping at... if you could be so wonderfully kind as to get me there, I'd be in your debt."

Trying hard to protect her fragile wings and equally fragile equipment from the hail and rain, Vana remained at a constant state of movement; dancing from foot to foot. Faolin didn't like any of this, of course, especially not a stranger approaching Vana, and he chittered warningly from between her ear-wings.

[Shinigami]

Quinn took up the offered bag, holding it to "his" chest and stomach and hunching his back slightly to cover it from the storm. At the same time, he moved so that he was between the wind and the butterfly, his thick Solandrian fur easily blocking out the worst of the hail from hitting her.

"Well then, Miss! Please lead the way, and I'll follow right behind you. I can take a few hits better than you can, I think." That was said with a smile and a jaunty wink, before he ushered the butterfly forward toward the inn that had been previously mentioned.

Quinn hadn't really encountered too many insect Cards in her travels before - oh, they could be found here and there, but they were so very, very fascinating when she finally got to interact with them and see them move, all sorts of different from the usual Cards she saw. And this one was right here in the Capital! Well, that made a certain amount of sense, seeing as the Capital City was the gathering place for all sorts of people.

[Vyn]

Vana was extremely thankful for this kind stranger's help. The larger form of the saint bernard definitely took the blows of the building hail much better than her fragile wings or even more fragile equipment.

Forgoing the need to thank him yet again, on the basis that she had already done so enough and that doing so again would probably further pelt them with hail, Vana turned lightly on her six legs and hurried swiftly, though not so much so that she went too far beyond the radius of the canine's protective shadow, into the Inn

Upon reaching the warm shelter of the building, she found a pillar to lean against and rested there for a moment as she recovered from the small beating she'd taken.

This, of course, was all just part of the risk involved with storm chasing.

At last she turned back to the male who had helped her, beaming cheerfully in his direction. "Thank you again, sir! And O! I don't believe I've gotten your name? I'm Parvana, electrical Corvistownian." Invigorated from her successful hunt and, of course, the adrenaline of escaping the storm, Vana found herself pumping with a familiar energy and confidence that allowed her far more free of a reign with conversation than before.

[Shinigami]

He kept up with her, going as quickly as she so that neither of them would be left in the storm for too much longer. Of course, it was nowhere near the level of the blizzard that had hit in the Glacier when this particular form had first come into play, but it was still bothersome to be hit on a head a time or five while just trying to get to shelter.

Waiting for her to get the door open, he glanced down at the bag in his arms, making sure that it looked to be in good condition - there wasn't much of a problem with it. He'd managed to keep it mostly protected, when he rather doubted that she would have had as easy a time with the same feat. Then he looked to her as they finally stepped inside.

"Are you alright, Miss? It was getting worse out there as we went, and you don't quite look as if you'd stand up to much more than a stiff breeze." His tone was warm though, and he kept up his grin at her so she knew he was teasing.

Ah, introductions! Quinn scrambled around in the back of her-his mind to remember the name that went along with this shape, and found it rising to his lips without any actual conscious direction. Neat trick, that. "I'm Borislav, adventurer from the Solandria Glacier. I suppose you could call me a treasure hunter, but some times that treasure is nothing more than a good trip."

[Vyn]

Parvana's wings fluttered daintily in response to the playful teasing and the butterfly found herself beginning to blush something awful. Luckily, though, he wasn't too rough with his teasing and Vana was able to recover rather quickly and even find herself laughing again.

"Oh yes, yes, I'm fine. Storms are nothing new for me... Though the extra help is always so very very nice for the equipment." That was her biggest pain, honestly, toting all those heavy generators around...

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Borislav. The Solandria Glacier, you say? That sounds wonderfully exotic!" And cold, if the state of his massively thick fur was any give away. "And a treasure hunter at that! You must have many wonderful stories of your travels." Vana's tone held a hint of hopeful curiosity. She was no story teller, nor a collector of tales, but she did love a good story here and there.


Faolin returned in a small crackle of static and quickly moved up to curl against his summoner's cheek, chittering all the while She didn't seem upset, though, so he currently ignored the hulking canine stranger.

[Shinigami]

"You handled it with quite the professionalism, I must say. However, if you should ever need some help in moving things around, ask around for me and I'll see if I can come and help! Something like this is no real problem, and I'm always willing to assist where I can." He then glanced around, ready to shake off if it weren't for the fact that he still had an armful of various devices. "Is there any place you want me to put these down? I wouldn't just want to set them down in any old spot."

"Aye! Stories galore, and I can either be perfectly honest about them - which is good enough - or play them up to make myself seem the dashing, daring, supremely intelligent man I like to see myself as." He winked at her at that, perfectly willing to make fun of himself if she asked him to. The mome caught his attention, and he put on a slight longing look. "I've always wanted one of those little guys. Yours seems rather suited to you."