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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't doubt that for a second. And I'll bet that skill is going to be in high demand before you know it.

[Whether for spying or for counseling...remains to be seen.]

That sounds incredible. I'm from a place where a lot of stuff just...doesn't grow. So I guess I don't have much experience with that. But I think a lot of people around here might find it useful to know about, since there are so many gardens around.

[Aerith the spy... sounds exciting!

She can empathise when he speaks of the place he's come from. Midgar isn't full of flowers either, after all. It's part of why she's taken up what she has. She looks sympathetic, offering him a nod.]

They're not super common where I come from either. The ones that are there have likely remained because of me tending to them. [Presumptuous perhaps, but she sure doesn't see much of anyone else taking care of them.] I think that's my favourite thing about being here. It's nice to see so many in one place. Feels like the people here care about them. And it seems like they grow pretty well, too. I wouldn't mind having a garden of my own.

As much as I hate to think about all of us being stuck here long enough to see it grow... [He gives a bit of a lopsided smile.] This certainly seems like the place to have a garden, with everything we saw out in the fields. Who knows, maybe there's a place around here with a spare patch of dirt. Never know until you ask, right?

I mean, if we have to be here long enough to see such a thing, at least we could see something pretty.

[Flowers make everything better is what she seems to be getting at without actually saying as much. His proposition is something she's thought about more than once. But she's already inclined to help Rinoa out with her own bed of flowers. Maybe that's all she needs. It could be a little selfish if she was growing flowers for herself. She'd rather help everyone else appreciate them.]

You're right. I will ask. Maybe it's something you'd help me with if I can get one. I know you said you haven't seen them very much. I could help you learn more about them if you'd like.

I guess that's true. It seems like something the locals would appreciate, too.

[...wait, what--]

Me? But I don't... [...know anything about flowers, but that seems like something she's already thought of. Hm. He wonders, momentarily, if she realizes she's a hard person to say "no" to...but she must. He's just been caught up in the trap.]

I don't know what I could help with, exactly, but I'd be happy to try it out. Just let me know what you need, alright? And when.

[Aerith doesn't even say anything immediately. She can hear him trying to get out of this, which would also be perfectly fine. She wouldn't force him into it, after all. So instead, she she listens to him stumble over his words, she simply smiles and it's as if everything about her does.]

That sounds just fine with me. I won't make you do anything too difficult. We'll just treat it like a learning experience. And we'll take one step at a time. Anything is easy to digest if you take your time with it.

[Well, maybe not anything, but he'll get the point.]

[To be fair, he doesn't exactly want to say no -- it feels novel, getting to learn new things...and besides, it sounds like a good way to keep himself busy. As much as he's hoping not to be here long enough for any of that to matter, the truth is, if he is, it'll be good to have something to do with himself.]

Alright, alright. I'll give it a try. I know you won't steer me wrong on advice and instructions.

It’s a deal, then! I have a great memory, so don’t try to get out of it, now.

[If it came from anyone else who wasn’t Aerith, it might sound frightening, but so much of what she says comes out with a touch of amusement. It could be hard for someone less familiar with her to take her seriously. Or to realise that much of her humour is merely a defence mechanism.]

[Video]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

We can probably wrap this one up!