I'M GUNNA PICK UP THE PIECES

AND BUILD A LEGO HOUSE

›if things go wrong we can knock it down‹

Walk | Talk | Think

Gale lay sprawled upon her back with her forelegs tucked against her chest, staring upward into the sunny spring sky. It was a pretty day, and a cozy one compared to all the cold that had gathered during winter, but it was not comfortable. No, far from it. Spring meant another birthday, which in itself was bad enough - was she seriously five already? That can't be right, nope, not right at all. Spring also meant another bout of heat, another couple months confined to home, another season of restlessness.  

Her pale features, marked across with stripes of lavender, scrunched up into a look of displeasure. She wanted her body to go back to normal. She wanted her freedom again. And she definitely wanted their beach-side home returned to them. The waters were receding - slowly but surely - but it was not fast enough for her. Gale wanted to be able to run the length of the beach and circle back so that she could run around the perimeter of the Prairie and begin again on the shoreline. She needed that long, continuous loop to give her something to do, but instead she was stuck pacing the border between the Prairie and the Beach, awaiting the moment it would all be open to her.

Which was torture of its own kind. She was tired of running the border, tired of seeing the same old everything that she saw each day before. That was not to say she was tired of her home, or her family, but nothing felt comfortable during this time. Not even that which she loved. With an audible groan, she rolled from her back to her stomach and set about searching around her, considering whether she ought to look for one of her siblings to see if they needed help with anything so she could feel useful again.

Voltage Elementas Voltage was a little happier these days. Sure, they had lost their home for a while, his daughters were still missing, he had no idea where his stormy brother was and Serefina was refusing to come home. And yet, he was happy. It was strange, he hadn't felt this way in a while. Perhaps it was the very...idea, the aspect of planning a wedding with Gaia. They had already promised and succeeded in living their lives together. But this...this was different. It was like showing everyone and the entire universe that they were going to spend their lives together, and they were going to be happy and okay. He was humming a soft lullaby from his memory when he saw her, sprawled along her back in the sun. It was strange, she was a lot like him minus the insane energy, he hardly ever saw her standing still. She liked to run, she liked to move, like him. Perhaps thats why they got along so well. He knew, as well, that spring was not particularly easy on his sisters. So he devised a plan. With his super older brother ninja skills, he would tip toe through the grass, practically holding his breath before he leapt towards her. He nudged his nose against her cheek before he leapt away again. "Tag!" He called happily, bounding through the grasses and looking back at her with bright, shining eyes. She would play, he knew she would. "Burn Baby Burn"

I'M GUNNA PICK UP THE PIECES

AND BUILD A LEGO HOUSE

›if things go wrong we can knock it down‹

Walk | Talk | Think

Gale was entirely unsuspecting. Her thoughts were in a scramble, too busy thinking about who she ought to try bothering for something to do, too busy considering all the things she would have rather been doing. Inattention allowed her elder brother to sneak in close, to tiptoe his way toward her without her realizing his approach until it was too late. Her thoughts even shifted to him momentarily during her considerations, but she still did not realize that he was presently a lot closer at hand than she thought.

That is, until he pounced.

The sudden shadow that overtook her much smaller frame as her lightning-streaked brother jumped out at her had her screaming even before he touched her, a candid yell of surprise as she nearly rolled right back over onto her back again but stopped partway through the act. Her forepaws reached out, ready to push him away, but he only reached in to quickly press his nose against her cheek and leap away with a victorious cry, instigating a surprise game of tag.

For a split second, Gale did nothing but stare at Voltage through widened green eyes, feeling her heart hammering in her chest as she still lay partly upon her side. Jeez, did he need to leap out at her like that?! She could easily have given into the scare and simply collapsed there amid the grasses until her heartbeat slowed and her breathing became regular again...but where was the fun in that?

"You better run, Flash!" she yelled after him as she scrambled up onto her lavender-touched paws and raced after him, determination set within the narrowing of her pale eyes and the smirk that curved up one edge of her lips.

Voltage Elementas Voltage would grin brightly, laughing so excitedly when his little game worked. She had jolted just the way he wanted too, and instantly her little funk seemed to melt away as a smile broke on her face. Ah, perfect. All was right with the world again! He danced on his paws, bending down slightly with a playful grin when she told him he better run. "Yeah?" He called playfully over the distance, his tail swaying behind him as he grinned his toothy grin. "What're you gonna do, baby sister?" He teased before he suddenly jolted to the left, running with a speed he could only maintain for a short time. He was happy, and it was a strange feeling lately, but he was more so happy that Gale seemed to be happy as well. He loved running with his wind blown sister, but the times between the games had become way too large, and his heart almost panged with guilt. He would have to make sure he spent more time with her, more time with all of them. He had grown distant the past year, far too busy with his growing family to pay his siblings much mind aside from the odd worry here and there. So he would make it his goal to spend a lot more time with them. "Is that as fast as you can go?" He said with a booming laugh, swerving again to the left to zig zag through the territory. "Or is lightning really faster than the wind?" He laughed loudly, glancing back at her. One thing was true though, even if lightning were faster than the wind, it's stamina was very short, and he had to monopolize on those bursts. He would slow at times but the second he got his second, third, fourth wind he would burst forward again to try and create more distance between them, twisting and zig zagging through the territory. It wouldn't take long before he pittered out, but he hoped he'd give Gale a good run in the meantime. "Burn Baby Burn"

I'M GUNNA PICK UP THE PIECES

AND BUILD A LEGO HOUSE

›if things go wrong we can knock it down‹

Walk | Talk | Think

His taunt went unanswered, the only sign of recognition given being just a touch of added speed that she pushed into her stride. That darn Voltage, always spooking her whenever he got a chance. It did not matter that the act had successfully and all on its own tossed the pair back onto even footing, proving to the worried sister's mind that her elder sibling was in fact doing much better and acting more like himself - though it in fact did. There would be time enough to reflect on the happy revelation later, after she had successfully caught up to the gloating Flash and proven that there was no outrunning the wind.

The advantage was his, however. He had gotten a head start while she recovered from her fright, and though she covered the distance between them fast, Voltage saved his energy for quick sprints that drove him out of her path at the last second, dashing out of her way as she continued to turn tightly and try rocketing his way. She noticed he continued to favor the left side, continuously choosing that direction in which to make his last second dashes, and she hoped to use that to her advantage. "Lightning's only one quick flash," Gale challenged, slowing her pace just enough to allow speech, "the wind can go for days." And that, too, she thought with a grin, she hoped to use to her advantage.

She ducked her head and leaned again into her stride, racing directly toward him just as she had been so far. Only this time, when she expected him to make another of his hard left dashes, she turned too, anticipating his motions and leaning in that direction to try intercepting him. Gale hoped he would be that predictable, that she could leaped at him and wrap her paws around his larger frame and catch her big, bragging brother. But one thing at a time; she needed to catch him first!