Content Warnings: Discussion of Female Underwear, Discussion of Lesbianism/Bisexuality, Discussion of Casual Sex

At the side of a stream, some distance from a campsite, an unusual question was posed.

"Hey, Lightning, how come your underwear is so plain?" Vanille asked.

Lightning raised an eyebrow.

"...I know we're the ones doing the laundry today but what brought that up?"

Vanille raised what she was washing out of the stream.

"Plain old white. Not mine, and they don't belong to Fang..."

"Process of elimination then?"

Vanille nodded, and then pulled out other very plain pairs. Some in the pile for drying, some still to be washed.

"Plain colours, all grey, white, or light blue. Plain types, all bikini, boyshorts, or hipster... No thongs, no g-strings, no lace, no frills, no see-through..."

Lightning sighed.

"Look, Vanille... It's practicality. What need do I have for a thong? Honestly? I'm single, I..."

"What does being single have to do with it?"

"What's the point in interesting underwear with no one else to see it?"

Vanille was surprised.

"...Somehow it seems kind of strange for you to think like that."

Lightning shook her head.

"It's not really. Okay, those grey ones there. Practical. They're comfy to wear, fit nicely, and they're not hideous."

"So... No planning ahead for if you find a special guy?"

"Not really. I mean, I'm only human and sometimes I think about it..."

Vanille seemed oddly interested.

"...I'm not bisexual by the way."

"Ha. 'Bi' the way..."

"...It wasn't a pun."

"Whatever. Still... When you thought about it?"

Lighting picked up a white pair of boyshorts.

"Well... When I did it made no difference, did it? If I really did wind up having something to release tension it wasn't anything really sexual in it, it was just..."

"Practical?"

She nodded.

"Pretty much. "

Vanille put another pair for washing. The orange colour indicated they were hers.

"So... If you were to want to wear more interesting stuff..."

Lightning shrugged.

"Well, it would depend on who I wanted to interest. I'd need it to be something they liked."

"More practical thinking... I guess that's why you always wear shorts too."

There was silence for a moment.

"...I know you said you're not bisexual but did you maybe..."

"Experiment? Yes. Neither of us enjoyed it that much."

Vanille deflated a little.

"...Sorry, but it just never worked for me."

"This sucks... You're so practical about these things it doesn't even make you blush!"

Lighting frowned.

"...You were trying to tease me?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I was just a little bored..."

"Don't worry, Vanille. I understand. But really, you seem to have embarrassed yourself."

"Wait, what?!"

"I mean you seem more embarrassed by what I'm saying than I was."

"Oh. Right. I guess... But even though you know I bet I can get you embarrassed and you can't embarrass me!" Vanille beamed

"Are you sure?" Lightning smirked.

"Yup!"

"One hundred percent?"

"Mm-hm!"

"So... That's a challenge?"

"I guess so!"

Lighting nodded at the washbasket.

"Try and find a bra that's mine."

Vanille did so.

"Ah, this one? Oh. Fang's. I remember because last night she was wearing this but not for... that isn't even embarrassing you?"

"No. Not at all. But keep looking."

"I can't find any..."

"That's because I don't wear bras."

Vanille blinked.

"Really?"

Lighting shook her head.

"No, they're all over here."

A rather plain white bra was held up.

"You suck."

Lightning grinned.

"True, but it's just to relieve tension."

Vanille's sputtering and how fast her face turned red indicated a win for Lightning.

"Okay, for the record that was a joke."

"I... I thought so but... Wow, you're full of surprises. Even with boring underwear..."

Lighting frowned again.

"I honestly don't see why it's such a big deal. I've no need for anything less dull."

"Not even black? Red? Striped?" Vanille tried.

"What do you mean, black? I'm wearing black right now. Just all my black sets are over here."

Vanille spaced out for a moment.

"...Gha, never tell me what you're wearing! I have an over-active imagination!"

Lighting sighed.

"Colour doesn't really make much difference. Except red, I guess. And I'm not a fan of pink frankly."

Vanille looked at her hair, and then had a horrible thought.

"This is just building up to some sort of joke about how you can't see any hairs in pink underwear!"

"...No, but that's a good point. You know, most people think it's dyed actually, it's not..."

"I don't want to know that! Well, I do but I don't, not right now when it's so..." Vanille stammered.

Lighting simply grinned.

"Impractical?"

"Yes!"

"Good. Now, since my underwear is boring, let's just finish up."

There was some silence.

"...Does everything you do have to have a reason?" Vanille suddenly asked.

Lightning pondered this.

"No, but I prefer there to be some point to what I'm doing."

"So, what was the point in you turning the joke back on me?"

"Easy. It was funny."