expiationnet | [Video]

[At first, there's just audio as Aerith is figuring out how this little trinket works. A phone would be easier, wouldn't it? As video comes on, she lifts a hand and wiggles her fingers in greeting.]

Hellllooooo!

[If it seems like she's too cheery, that very likely might be the case. Despite the situation and bizarre circumstances, she's chosen to approach all of this with a great deal of optimism. Smile, and the world smiles with you, goes the saying.]

I understand a lot of us are kind of going through the same thing and it's probably very easy to focus on what we don't know, but I thought it might be kind of nice to have the reminder that we have a common goal. So whether you arrived here with friends or without them, you're not alone! You have the rest of us, too.

[Gesturing to herself, she continues.]

My name's Aerith and I didn't arrive with very much, but if there's something I can help you out with, make sure you let me know and I'll do my best! Also, if you're having trouble finding a place to stay, I'm sharing a room here with my bodyguard, but I'm sure he won't mind too much if we make a little more room for you.

[You're welcome, Cloud.]

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[ Some people aren't so good with their feelings, much less talking about them. All of Peter's friends fall under that category, from Rocket's anger issues to Gamora and Drax's grief, none of them have it together. (Peter doesn't either, he's just coping differently, it's fine.)

It's something they share, and something that brings them together. And also one of the reasons he cares about them so much. ]

They're the best!

[ Man, though, he hadn't even considered the possibility of one of them turning up here though. It's obvious in the way he pauses, almost freezing for a bit while his brain reboots.

It's fine! That probably won't happen! ]

Uh, yeah! Definitely! If one of them shows up, you'll definitely know. They're not even a little subtle.

[She grins just listening to him. He sounds cute just talking about them. When people have those close relationships with others, there's just something about them that glows. She feels warmed right to the core.]

Sounds like a deal, then. And I'll introduce you to my friends, too. I'm not sure they're much like yours, but each of them is special in their own way. You would probably like them.

[Maybe not Cloud necessarily, but someone like Tifa? Barret? He'd probably love them.]

Until then, I think the way things are now is fine. I miss my friends from home, but I'm not sure I'd want them to be in the same situation that we're in.

[ They're his family 🥹 ]

Hey, I'll bet they are! Don't sell yourself short.

[ Or her friends, for that matter. But don't worry, Peter would try to get along with all of them. Even Cloud. ]

Yeah, I wouldn't exactly wish this on them. I think they'd have a hard time waiting around. They're more the kind of people who'd say actions speak louder than words. And explosions. Explosions speak louder than actions.

Exactly. I know I've been pretty understanding of the situation.

[Which is putting it lightly. Objectively, her behaviour alone would seem very complacent. She can't be surprised by the reactions of the others like them, as a result.]

I just believe in biding time. Gathering information first. I'm also concerned that if one of us does something we shouldn't do that we might all be punished as a result. I don't have any proof of that, obviously, but it's just a concern and I think it's better safe than sorry.

It's not totally unheard of for this stuff, honestly. Weirdos who do this kind of thing or have this kind of power usually have something in mind. So arbitrary scut like doling out punishments trying to get us to turn on each other wouldn't surprise me.

[ Sometimes you have to bide your time before you can get out there and change things. ]

I call that healthy caution. We can hope for the best and still plan for the worst!

I think healthy caution is a good way of putting it.

[At least he gets that. It's not that Aerith wants to be buddy-buddy with the locals. Of course, she wouldn't mind being on truly friendly terms, but she's definitely trying to think about all of them as a whole.]

But. Hopefully I'm wrong. No way to tell right now. I feel like we're sort of at a dead end right now. Waiting is hard, but we might not have an alternative. At least not yet. Hoping people can keep themselves together for the time being.

[ You gotta stick together in times like these! Not that the locals haven't been super accommodating, but even that is a little weird. ]

Yeah, I hear you. I doubt we'd be 'sentenced' if the plan was to drop us in a quaint little town where we can chill and relax. Waiting's our only play right now. Might as well stay out of trouble, for now.

Are you going to be able to do that? [She asks him teasingly. It's a stretch of a guess on her part, but...] You seem like you might just be the residential bad boy of the place! [No, yeah. Aerith is definitely teasing. Peter seems like he wouldn't hurt a fly, much less anything else.]

[ Peter laughs. Busted. ]

I dunno... [ He winks, chuckling. ] Maybe? I'll have to try my best.

[ Yeah, his bad boy days have been over for years, he wishes he were a bad boy. ]

[Aerith rolls her eyes, though she's still very much grinning from ear-to-ear.]

If you get into too much trouble, I'll get you out of it. I'm pretty good at that!

[Video]

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