logs | october/november catch-all

( first of all, my sincerest apologies to anyone I had plans with and disappeared on! the month was hellish and got away from me before I realized what was going on. I messaged a few people but everyone please feel free to jump in here whether we had plans or not! ♥ I plan on throwing her at the Soulidarity post later too, so I'll put a link here once I have.

you can reply to one of the prompts I've written, or throw me a wildcard at any time. and if you wanna discuss something in particular, feel free to message me at

denouements! info for Aerith, along with permissions, is over here if you need more info. )

[ When it comes to finding a place to stay in Stygia, the answer is obvious. For as much as Mirth reminds her of the Slums in Midgar, from the very first moment that she sets foot in Serene, she knows it's going to be home— or at least, as much of a home as she can make, here. Of course, there's the fact that Spectres rarely if ever reach the place, a nice bonus all of its own, but also...

Well. Just look at it, is exactly what Aerith will tell anyone who asks her why she's decided to settle down here. And truthfully, anyone who's known her for even a single second, whether back home or here, will likely understand without having to ask her. Gardens and ponds and streams and trees... It's perfect.

She knows that from time to time she'll have to go back to that strange echo of her church back in the Shadowlands, especially if she's to make soulmates— something she knows she has to do if she wants to survive here. But that's something to worry about later.

Finding an unoccupied house in the trees is an easy enough task. It's small, but coming from the Slums, that's all she needs. The harder part is going to be furnishing it, making it comfortable as a living place— after all, right now she's without money.

It's for that reason that anyone who happens by various parts of Serene might see her wandering across the forest floor, gathering flowers, leaves and grasses wherever the ground is thickest with them and it won't hurt the environment too much to have them taken away. She's hardly a skilled tailor, but she figures she can at least use some greenery to make some bedding as a start... ]

[ It's safe to say that he hadn't really expected to see anyone he knows here, let alone someone like Aerith: to him, this is not a place where she would be carted off, not a place where she would belong, stolen and taken from her rightful place back home and dropped into the horrors that exist outside of the boundaries of the city, and sometimes within. So to catch a glimpse of her in passing, on one of his many passes through Serene tending to odd jobs and whatever quests he can find in his pursuit of money: at first, it doesn't quite seem real at all. It's a narrowing of his eyes, the line of his mouth fit into discomfort, and something in his head nagging at him, telling him that he must be mistaken.

And it isn't that he's stalking her, really, but more that he's keeping himself at a distance. He follows her on her walk through Serene that day, watches her carefully as she wanders across the forest floor, gathering flowers that he almost wants to warn against. Should she really be touching all of this? Does she even know what's poisonous here, or what's safe? Exasperated, he waits until she's gotten quite the bundle in her arms before he decides to close the distance--his boots crunch on the leaves beneath him, though he's clumsily trying to do his best at being both intimidating and also gentle to the foliage.

It's a terrible combination. ]

...You need someone to help you carry all that. [ --is how he introduces himself, stopping just short of where she's crouched; his arms fold against his chest, a defensive measure, but there's some relief in the blue-green shimmer of his gaze. ] I'll let you hire me for half-price, if you want. Aerith.

[ If she were anyone else, it's possible she'd have noticed him. After all, ignorant of it though she is, he follows her throughout the day, and his boots on the foliage aren't exactly the quietest sound that one can hear in Serene. But during the time that she might otherwise notice him, she's focused solely on finding what she needs, her eyes and nose trained to the scents of the various flowers, and her ears listening for potential danger—

And apparently, to her ears, the crunch of Cloud's boots against the ground does not register as "dangerous".

She's just noticed a nicely-sized fallen branch, one that might make for a temporary staff, and she crouches over it, trying to work out how in the world she can hold it along with all the other stuff she has. (She could leave, of course, come back and get it later... but if she does that, someone else might come and snatch it up while she's gone.)

He speaks, and in her excitement, she promptly drops everything she's holding and runs at him, throws herself into his arms hard enough to maybe knock him over, if he doesn't brace for her in time. ]

Cloud! You're here!

[ That's a bad thing, isn't it? He shouldn't be here, neither of them should be here, and yet she can't help but be happy to see him. Her arms tighten for a second or two, forcing a tight embrace, before she steps back, fixing him with a bright smile, her eyes awash with tears. ]

Of course I need someone to help me. Good thing you showed up then, right?

[ She doesn't have any money right now, but— they can deal with that later. She's good for it. He knows she is, surely! ]

After all, what are bodyguards for?

[ It's with a thoughtful frown on her features that Aerith considers the notice from Professor Byrl. She's never heard of a harpy before, but anything that would kill— and mutilate— a hunter as well as tear his dog and home apart is something that really has to be stopped. Not even for the coin, not really, although that in itself would be useful; it's more about helping out the other people who live in this district. After all, not everyone is quite as scrappy as she is—

Or quite as good at finding bodyguards.

It's a thought that might otherwise leave her feeling somewhat lonely, but Aerith is on too much of a mission right now to dwell on her own troubles; that mission being, of course, inspecting others who may be investigating the tasks written up on the board, looking for someone who might be a suitable companion for this one in particular.

When she spies someone, she'll approach them with a bright, warm smile, a confidence in her expression that isn't exactly common among someone talking to a stranger, much less one who is as newly dead as she is. ]

If you're looking for a job, maybe we can handle this one together?

Oh! [shalem jerks in surprise, his tail flicking behind him before he gets ahold of himself. then he smooths down his shirt, tail dropping back down onto the ground again.] I'm sorry, I was just... lost in thought.

[he gives himself a mental shake, and looks back at the notice board.]

Which one were you looking at? [he's willing to do a good deal of what's available, even combat-- he does have a large shield on his back, after all.]

[ An apologetic expression crosses Aerith's face the moment that the stranger's tail(...?! okay, this is new!) flicks in surprised response before it— and he— seems to visibly relax. She also takes quiet note of the shield on his back; unlike her, he seems to have something he can actually use to defend himself. That's a good start. ]

Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.

[ While she's genuinely apologetic, her tone remains warm and friendly, and the bangles on her arm chime against one another as she lifts her hand to point out the harpy job someone has posted. ]

Something's killing people. We should take of that, right?

[ In her free hand, she brandishes her makeshift staff, fashioned somewhat crudely from one of the tree branches she's scavenged from around the place. Certainly not as fancy as she's used to, and no materia at that, but she can surely make it work. ]

I'm Aerith. It's nice to meet you!

Ah, that one. [the same one that he was eyeing, then. perhaps he could have gone with something less stressful, like fishing, but... he thinks he's had enough of fishing and being quiet for a while.

shalem briefly notes her staff and wonders-- medic, or caster? he'll find out soon enough.]

Shalem-- a pleasure to meet you. I'm willing to work with you on this excursion... And certainly, as the one with the shield, I'll protect you to the best of my ability.

[ If she's honest, right now she'd love a little peace and quiet herself. It feels like she's been constantly moving since she arrived here, what with finding herself a home, arming herself as well as she could, and trying to earn enough in the way of small jobs to feed herself.

But of course, there's that weird thing, both feeling and presence, that's loitering behind her constantly, making itself far too comfortable with her for her liking. Aerith feels like if she stays still for too long, it will swallow her whole.

But those are worries for later. For now, she nods in response to his words, gesturing to her own staff. ]

I'm without some of my magic here, but I'll do what I can to support us with my natural skills. And if they don't work... [ A playful smile, and she mimes bringing the weapon down over her head. ] Whack!

[well, he was right-- medic or caster indeed, so... it's a good opening for him to just ask.]

Aah... but your poor weapon might suffer, especially if you need it.

[then he waves his hand and waggles his fingers.]

Do you prefer hitting the enemy, or do you heal?

[ She smiles at him in response, a light laugh on her lips; she knows he's right, that the weapon might suffer— but at the same time, she just found it on the ground, so maybe it wouldn't be too hard to find another one, right?

...She'd love a real one, honestly. Something more like what she had back home. But there's time for that later. Or maybe she can use some of the reward money... ]

I guess you could say it's a little of both. I heal, usually, and I'm apparently pretty good at it. But my natural magic does more of the hitting. [ She pulls a face. ] That might not be so useful.

In that case, I believe we could be good partners in this expedition. You see...

[shalem raises a hand and snaps his fingers, indigo, red and blue sparks flying from the friction.]

I have Ar-- magic as well, and a curious side-effect of it is that it hurts me if I use it far too much in a short amount of time. If we're in danger I may have to do so in order to protect us-- thus I'll have to rely on you to keep me from falling over.

[then he shrugs, still smiling.]

Still, I believe you'd benefit, as my magic also weakens the enemy's resistance to magic as well.

[ ...Shit. She may have accidentally misrepresented herself. She really needs to get better at explaining the fact that the healing part of her magic is gone, at least until she can work out how to get some Materia around here...

She grimaces a little, shaking her head apologetically. ]

I'll do my best! But... unfortunately, it's the healing part of my magic that hasn't really been working since I got here. I use these special... orbs, I guess you would say? They come from my world, and they make my magic stronger. But I haven't been able to get any of them here...

[ She indicates once more the staff strapped to her back. ]

Same as my weapon, I guess...

[ Truth be told, Aerith has questions about his magic, and how it works, why it hurts him, and so on. But it's not the right time or place for that, especially when she's just shown herself to be so hopelessly useless... ]

Ah... [he's visibly disappointed.] Seems like I will just have to carry on being cautious, then.

It's fine, I got a little too excited. [then he gives himself a mental shake, tail flicking as the only evidence of his thought process. he can't really blame her for this, nor can he blame anyone else. it just... is.]

I'm still counting on you to watch my back.

[ She feels awful. She didn't mislead him on purpose, of course, but she wasn't careful enough either when it came to making sure he knew her situation, and now he's disappointed...

Still, she does her best to keep the smile on her face, even as his tail flicks, visibly thinking over the situation. She can't help but for her thoughts to wander off slightly, to the idea of getting her hands on some Materia finally, to actually be able to help him so that he can use as much magic as he needs to use...

She offers him a small smile, regardless of the worries or the guilt she feels. ]

Watch your back? That's something I can do.

[he's picked himself up because it's just something to deal with. no sense in wishing for the right circumstances, for her to assist him in the perfect way.]

Thank you very much.

[then he straightens up, sighing deeply as he hikes his shield up again.]

We should go now, don't you think? I am in no hurry... but there's nothing else for me to accomplish right now.

[ She nods. ]

Actually, I'm not really sure what I'm meant to be trying to accomplish either, honestly, so...

[ The sentence slips out before she can quite stop it— before she's even really thought it properly— and Aerith wrinkles her nose in distaste. It seems the slight feeling of guilt for disappointing him has unsettled her more than she immediately realized, and it feels like something is trying to grasp her, to rub her nose in the fact.

She shakes her head, trying to free the feeling ]

Right. Yes. Let's go!

[ She sets off in what she hopes is the right direction— all the while making a quiet note to herself that once she gets a hold of her healing magic, she needs to find a way to help him. ]

[ The stranger in question looks back at Aerith with surprise, though it quickly shifts into a pleasant one. He'd been standing before the board, arms folded, finally equipped with an actual greatsword thanks to Puck, and looking over the remaining jobs with renewed determination. This is what he does, what he's meant to do, and it's just as natural to have company along the way. A little thing like death isn't going to change that. ]

You mean this one, from the professor? [ He reaches out, tapping a knuckle on the posting to confirm. ] I'd certainly welcome the aid.

[ Could he do it alone? Probably, now that he's armed, though it would still be risky...and while he's not one to let something like that stop him, he's not stupid.

Not about this sort of thing, at least. ]

Do you fight?

[ Maybe later she'll apologize for startling him (probably not), but right now she has one thing on her mind, and that's getting the job underway. She's not particularly bothered by the fact that the man to whom she's found herself speaking his large, bunny-like ears protruding from the top of his head— although he'll probably notice the green of her eyes trail up their length, adding practically another foot to his height— which is otherwise not that much more than her own.

Her eyes alight on his sword, and brighten, before returning to his face. In response to the question, she nods. ]

I can hold my own.

[ Even if, right now, "holding her own" has to be done with a makeshift staff and her magic only sometimes working.

But that's a worry for later on, as far as she's concerned.

She holds out her hand with a smile. ]

I'm Aerith. And you are?

[ In life he was already a rare sight so he's more than used to the sort of look Aerith's currently giving him, or rather, giving his ears... He wouldn't even mind if she had a question or two but it's better to focus on more important matters.

Unfolding his arms he turns to give Aerith a proper look himself. Bright eyes...and the weapon she carries reads 'mage' to him. If he's guessed right then he absolutely believes her. Though she'll 'hold her own' more easily if she has someone like him backing her up.

Which is fine by him. After all that's also what he does, what he's meant to do. ]

Cedrik. [ He smiles back and takes her hand, shaking it firmly as he would with any fellow adventurer. ] Cedrik Reede. Full glad to meet you, Aerith. Shall we? I'd rather not leave this one waiting any longer than it has...and we can get to know one another on the way.

[ Even though she hardly stares at him before her eyes move to his sword instead, she would still apologize if he were to ask her about it; after all, she knows what it is to be gawked at like one is something different, and it's not nice. And who knows— maybe where he's from, ears like that are the norm. She's already met some people here who are... quite different from her, to say the least.

She smiles brightly at the suggestion though, returning the shake with one that is firm, but with a hint of gentleness to it. ]

It's nice to meet you, Cedrik. [ And then, to the rest of his statement, a resolute nod, before she sets out in (what she hopes) is the right direction. After all, they're not exactly sure where these things are, right?

Come to think of it, there's a lot she doesn't know about this. Maybe she should have researched first.

Or maybe they'll get lucky.

Either way, as they move, she turns to smile at Cedrik. ] With a sword like that, you have to be some sort of mercenary, right?

[ Maybe later she can figure out where he got it from, and organize a proper staff for herself, rather than the branch strapped to her back right now. ]

[ Luck is usually a healthy factor in Cedrik's usual methods so he isn't worried. At least they're heading for Serene, where the petition came from. From there someone can point them towards the last known sighting or where the most recent remains were found and then there will be more clues... It'll work out.

At the question he reaches back, fingers brushing over the long handle. It doesn't look new but it has been well cared for. The decay that usually plagues mundane items has yet to set in. ]

I'm an adventurer but...'mercenary' isn't far off, to be fair.

[ He gives a chagrined little smile before nodding to Aerith's own weapon. It may be only a placeholder, but he's seen mages using 'natural' looking canes like that before. ]

And you? A conjurer, am I right?

[ Aerith's not sure she's heard the word "conjurer" as a job title before, but it's true that some of what she does could be considered a type of conjury. The wards and offensive magic she can naturally cast both do come out of basically nothing, and isn't that the very meaning of "conjuring"?

That said, she's not sure it's a title she can comfortably take for herself. She shakes her head with a small, embarrassed smile. ]

I'm not really anything like that. I'm just a florist. I have some natural magic, but... most of the time I need Materia to do anything special. It's a type of crystallized energy from my planet... but I don't have any of it here.

[ Luck is a factor of course, but she knows her way around Serene at this point. And she's sure she can think of any number of people they can talk to if necessary, too. ]

[ His eyes light up at the mention of Materia. Though she describes it a curious way--

Cedrik skips past that, jumping to the conclusion he hopes for first. ]

Materia--I'm familiar! You're from Hydaelyn?

[ He's not sure why he'd excited by the idea, he's not thinking too deeply on it. But someone else from his star would mean that him being here isn't some impossible fluke. Surely that would mean something, wouldn't it? ]

[ Unfortunately for him, Aerith's response to his words is to blink, her confusion more than evident on her face as she shakes her head. He says he's familiar with Materia, but the name he asks of her... ]

I'm sorry, no. Or at least... if I am, I've never heard it called that before. My planet... we call it Gaia.

[ Although it's not like she's been everywhere— Maybe there's somewhere on the planet that they call it by something else? And from meeting Red XIII, she knows there are peoples with animal-like features... ]

Have you ever heard of Midgar? It's a big city run by the Shinra corporation.

[ Hydaelyn the star has another name as well, but it isn't Gaia. Though that name alone is another odd coincidence...at this point he doubts it's more than that. Some of Cedrik's enthusiasm visibly dampens, but he tries to keep a smile on his face, even if it's smaller. ]

Well, as many stars as there are, I suppose it's to be expected that similar names will crop up more than once... I know of Midgardsormr, for instance, but he's a great wyrm, not a city.

[ Cedrik shrugs the trouble away. ]

Forgive me for the confusion, Aerith. Perhaps you'll find an alternative means of casting magic, though in my experience it's all dampened down here...we'll need to take added care.

[ Okay, so this particular commission? Probably something anyone could help with. It doesn't need anyone skilled in anything in particular, after all. Aerith does have some skills, and maybe there's better things she could be helping with, but—

Okay, in this case? Her decision to help is one that is entirely selfish. Because even among the beautiful lushness of Serene, Stygia is... Well, it's kind of lonely. A couple of bunnies— or even just the one— would give her something to care for outside of the flowers that grow around her treehouse (because of course she's looking after them, even if they were growing perfectly well on their own before she came along). It would give her something to do other than worry about Gaia and her friends.

And so those who accept this job from Myrtille— or perhaps just those who have reason to find themselves in Serene— may find a girl in a pale pink dress that is definitely a little dirtier now than it was before she started crawling around on the ground and trying to catch a dozen wild rabbits in what amounts to her bare hands.

...Yeah, she didn't really think this through. ]

[ lumine, on the other hand, has other motivations.

being told that she can have all the rabbits she can catch, which is honestly worth more than the five coins that the woman was offering her. as cruel as it might seem to some, the rabbits are, well, still a source of food and it seems like being dead doesn't mean their basic needs are addressed. she apparently still needs to eat unless she prefers the grueling way of dying via starvation.

lumine expected this as a quick and easy request. so showing up to the field and finding a girl covered in dirt on her hands and knees while rabbits seem to pop up here and there was something that gets her to pause for one long moment.

... myrtille did say they can use whatever methods they have, right? ]

Er, do you need help?

[ It probably says a lot about Aerith that she hasn't once considered the thought of eating these poor bunnies. Not that she doesn't eat meat, but it's just that even in the Slums, she tends to buy what she eats from people like butchers— She knows where the meat comes from, but she doesn't always stop and think about what that actually means.

She's been hungry too, of course, but at least in her mind, the rewarded coins for this job and the bunnies are two separate things.

Aerith doesn't hear the other girl as she approaches, her attention as it is on trying to snag at least one of the small creatures as they pop up here, there, and everywhere. And in fact, she's just missed one of them when the voice sounds from behind her, and she startles, her head twisting toward the sound of the voice—

—before she bursts out laughing.

Oh, she probably looks ridiculous right now, doesn't she? ]

Hi! You're here about the bunnies too, right? They're being really difficult right now!

[ So, yes. She could probably use some help. ]

I can see that ...

[ difficult is the understatement of the year.

lumine does manage a brief smile and a quiet chuckle as she considers their current circumstances. which honestly makes her wonder if these are truly rabbits that they're trying to catch and not ... something else if they're posing so much trouble to one person. maybe she shouldn't underestimate them too much.

crouching on the ground, her eyes darting here and there to regard the rabbits popping in and out: ] Do you mind if I try my way?

[ don't worry, she won't use her sword. she even dismisses her own weapon, certain that it would frighten not just the animals but also the other girl. ]

[ Her eyes drift to the sword when the other girl asks if Aerith minds doing it her way; and there's definitely relief reflected in her expression when she dismisses it. It's not for her own sake, though— she has definitely seen significantly larger swords in her time— but rather that of the rabbits. Even if she doesn't know Lumine's current plan, something about chasing potential pets with weaponry does concern her.

It's kind of cool, though, the way the other's sword just disappears into the aether... a pout forms momentarily on her lips, because she can't help but think that if her staff would just do that, things would be much easier right now.

(Specifically, she wouldn't have a tree branch strapped to her back.)

But that's not this girl's problem, is it? She shoots her a quick, bright smile. ]

Sure. Just tell me what to do!

[ okay, fine. no violence. looks like lumine will have to, uh, make a meal out of the bunnies later instead ...

still, she has a few contingency plans in mind. truth be told, she wasn't entirely sure if they'd be effective, but she's captured a number of creatures in the past that she assumes it'll work for prey animals like bunnies. in any case, she waves at aerith to get up and come to her, her other hand rummaging through the pocket of her dress. once the other girl is out of the field, lumine starts walking across the field.

her hand strews cut apples on the ground, close to the holes where the rabbits had dug earlier. she'd dig her own pit traps, but she didn't know if myrtille would be okay with that.

once she's done, she walks back to the other girl. ]

I've laced those apples with a bit of a sleeping potion. Nothing dangerous, but it should knock them out for an hour or so. [ she gestures at a nearby tree. ] Let's wait and see if it's effective.

[ Aerith is quick to follow to where Lumine is, watching and waiting after as the other girl strides out across the field and places pieces of apples along the front of the places where the rabbits have been digging; her eyes light up as she watches, and there's a bright, cheerful smile when the other comes back to her. Somehow, even before the blonde tells her that she's used a sleeping potion, she knows it's something ingenious— and of course a moment later she's rewarded with her assumption being right on the gil. ]

That's really smart, you know? I hadn't thought of using anything like that.

[ To the contrary, Aerith came in totally unprepared. Whether it was her eagerness to help out or an equal eagerness for companionship, she'll never know— sometimes she just does things like this: jumping first, thinking about it later. It makes life (...death?) more interesting, at least.

Although she has found that without Gaia's flowers and wind whispering secrets to her, her attempts succeed far less often than she might otherwise like.

She follows her new friend's gesture to move over to the tree and putting herself out of the field's line of sight, assuming she means to lure the creatures into a false sense of security. And as they wait, she holds a hand out in greeting. ]

I'm Aerith, by the way! [ Despite the warmth in it, the volume of her voice is low. ] Are you here for the coin, or the rabbits?

[ lumine won't deny the excitement and thrill of jumping in first, thinking about it later. archons know she's done it more than a handful of times, and in situations where she really should be thinking first rather than letting her recklessness get the better of her. this time, though, she's decided that crawling through the dirt might not be the best way to catch bunnies, especially bunnies that have made their life's passion to destroy a garden.

she accepts her hand, shaking it with a bigger smile. ]

For both, really. You?

[ getting the coin and the bunnies just for finishing the request is essentially like hitting two rabbits (???) with one stone. she can at least save money on spending for food by cooking rabbit meat ... sorry, aerith. ]

I'm Lumine. It's nice to meet you.

[ Her smile broadens at the introduction, her hand falling back to her side once they've shaken. ]

It's lovely to meet you, Lumine. [ A friendly, decisive nod. ] I guess it's both for me too. But maybe more the rabbits than the coin. I feel like I'm going crazy here, you know? Having a bunny friend or two doesn't sound bad.

[ And while it's true that she has no idea that Lumine is there to get rabbits to eat, while she naïvely hasn't even considered the idea of using them for food, she wouldn't blame the other girl for having such plans. Things are difficult here, after all, in more ways than just their apparently being dead. ]

Since this plan was yours, though, you should get first pick of anything we catch.

[ That's only fair, right? ]

[ oh, she wants ... oh.

that's a very pure reason why she wants the rabbits after this commission, and lumine feels a twinge of guilt that the rabbits she'll be collecting will eventually go into a pot. good thing she didn't say anything, then, though she wonders if aerith might've figured it out already, seeing that she showed up with her sword brandished. ]

That's a good idea. [ having a bunny friend to talk to, maybe? or cuddle? that's cute. ] I found a talking ruby in the Shadowlands before I sailed here and it's been a colorful conversation partner ...

[ it's been chattering nonstop, slinging backhanded comments when she allows it. it's almost like having paimon around, she's not going to deny. ]

Are you sure, though? [ she releases aerith's hand before she gestures under the tree, taking a seat under its shade. ] I'll happily take whichever ones you don't choose. I'm not very picky ...

[ beggars can't be choosers, after all. ]

[ Maybe if she hadn't been quite so frantically crawling around when Lumine arrived, she'd have put two and two together by now, have clued into the fact that the other girl came at the task with sword out, but naturally her focus— and still remains— elsewhere.

Her brows lift in surprise in the next moment, though— a talking ruby? She's come across many strange things since arriving here, but that... that's new. She's kind of curious, honestly, about what sorts of things a ruby might have to say.

So she takes a seat under the tree too, next to Lumine, and she responds with a slight shake of her head to the question. ]

I don't think I'm too picky either, not really...

[ ...Okay, maybe that's not entirely true. After all, what if she sees a bunny that she just instantly falls for? Her shadow is at her ear, urging her to be selfish, to take what she wants—

She frowns, and shakes her head again, the action somewhat more forceful than before. ]

We'll decide once we succeed then, right? [ A determined nod. ] And maybe while we're waiting you can tell me about the ruby.

[ it'll probably take a while before the rabbits come out again, guards down and unaware that their captors are just nearby. lumine supposes that this is a good time to relax, maybe make a friend along the way; it's the one thing that keeps her sane in this world, company. ]

I picked it up a while after I woke up in the Shadowlands ...

[ they looked like precious stones and she thought she could sell them at a reasonable price. that is, until it started yelling expletives at her. ]

It's pretty demanding, very talkative. [ like someone she knows, but with more cursing. ] It wants me to ignore it but it complains when I do ...

[ like what do you do with that kind of thing??? ]

[ Her brows lift again, and there's a laugh, one that would definitely be louder if not for Aerith's attempts to keep herself quiet so as not to scare the rabbits. After all, they need them to let their guards down if they're going to be caught, and loud laughter probably isn't the way to help that happen.

Still, she can't help but think that a talking ruby would be good company, even if Lumine makes it sound like quite a difficult travel partner. ]

If it says it wants you to ignore it, then complains when you ignore it... it doesn't really want you to ignore it, you know? [ It's possible Lumine has figured all this for herself, but Aerith feels the need to say it, just in case. ] It wants your attention. If it tells you "don't talk to me!", it's making you chase after it... so I guess it's like... you're proving you wanna talk to it?

Maybe that's kinda weird to say about a ruby, but... that's the impression I get, anyway.

[ On the surface, it seems like it should be the easiest of the requests posted on the notice board. Gather at least one pound of scaleberries. Easy. Flora is her whole thing after all. Never mind that said berries are most commonly found in an area of Stygia with which she has no experience; never mind either that it is rife with environmental dangers like volcanoes and acidic rain, plus crawling with unfriendly creatures the likes of which she has never faced.

Realistically, Aerith's decision to tackle this commission was altogether not entirely smart... but that's a realization she doesn't make until she's standing amongst ruins roughly where the district converges with some of the others, a frown on her face and her weapon in hand.

The good news among all the bad: she has Fire materia, and she's heard that those Badaliscus things are weak against fire.

...You know, if it works.

Still, the overall situation is just a little stacked against her. She's not planning on giving up, but she does find herself hesitating a little, wandering back and forth between the ruins at which she first arrived in the Barrens and a nearby cave— With any luck, she'll find someone who can help her fend off unfriendly creatures while she gathers scaleberries, and they can split the reward.

And who knows, maybe she'll make a new friend while she's at it. ]

[ Scaleberries sound like an easy enough thing to gather. Or so he argues with himself. Sure, he doesn't have a sword. Or materia. ...Or at least an infantry rifle.

But it's fine.

He's got experience, right?

That's what leads him into the depths of this mess at any rate. At some point, he'd at least grabbed something makeshift. A metal two by four from the park might not seem like much, but it's definitely nothing to sneeze at. It should at least last this trip.

Leave it to him to attract the attention of one of those Badaliscus though. ]

You have gotta be kidding me! For real?? [ He just gets out of the way of its poison this time. The lecture he could hear right then from his mentor for such a sloppy dodge, but to be fair, he hadn't exactly expected to run into them again so soon.

Doesn't mean he hesitates to run at the thing, swinging at it full on and-

that. Might be a badaliscus flying through the air in Aerith's direction followed by a: ] Oh shit, duck!

[ It's as she looks up to see the badaliscus flying through the air that Aerith remembers belatedly: She does not have Fire materia. Fire materia is a Gaia thing, and right now all she has is a makeshift staff gathered from the fallen branches around Serene.

So, she ducks— what else is there to do?— before straightening up once it lands on the other side of her, holding the staff out and casting a ward at her feet, one that thankfully holds (she's learned very quickly that they don't always). It will help both her strength and that of her new companion's, who she twists to address: ]

Come stand next to me, okay? I can't heal you, but—

[ Her voice trails off, a dumbstruck look on her face as she sees him, and for a second she almost forgets the creature behind her, almost drops the staff she's holding as her hands tremble. ]

Zack?

[ But is it? Really? He looks young, too young, like they were when they first met, and—

She shakes the thought off.

There's time for that later. Right now— ]

This ward will make us both stronger! Come on, okay?

[ He hears that bidding- is quick to react, standing closer and taller for a split second. Balking a moment the next because he's pretty sure he heard-

There's a question on the tip of his tongue, but it's quickly dismissed when he sees the thing taking a deep breath and Zack rushes forward yet again. This time, he's not aiming for the weird crocodile mummy though. This time, he's trying to catch Aerith by the wrist? Arm? Whatever works to pull her out of the way from the poisonous breath the thing spews out only seconds later with a: ] Sounds great, but believe me! We don't wanna get hit by that!

[ It's somewhere between her wrist and arm, in the end, a strong— familiar— grip on her forearm that drags her out of the way of its breath. There's still that discomforting feeling leaving her wanting to stare at him, or fall apart on the spot, but this is neither the time nor the place for that, not when they have one of those creatures immediately rounding on them again.

(Also, there's the fact that he's just a kid, and that means if anything she should be the one protecting him, so...) ]

Okay... yuck.

[ It's a mutter more than anything, said more to herself than him, because the badaliscus is already recovering and moving toward them again; she pivots quickly to the side, lifting her staff to shoot bolts of energy from it— some of which flicker and sputter out in the air. ]

Shit.

[ Well, then there's nothing for it, right? Lifting her staff, Aerith brings it down as if to clobber the creature— undignified, really, but better than working with half her usual capability. ]

[ Maybe undignified? But it sure seems to do the trick in the moment. The creature bellows but backs up for the moment, giving Zack a window of opportunity to rush i from there. He hurries after, slashing forward with a strength that has the make shift blade noticeably faster.

There's a spark of awe that flits across his expression before he grins like a fool and sweeps in with another slash for good measure, the thing hissing and grumbling its way backwards, horking up another disgusting acidic belch at them in retaliation. ]

[ She wants to follow it, but she sees the belch coming this time and so falls back a few steps, reaching out to grab Zack's arm and pull him back too— she recognizes that foolish, cocksure look on his face before, after all, and she really doesn't want him to get hurt because he's excited over the strength and speed her magic gives him.

Aerith glances at him with a quick smile, a nod. ]

Just a little more!

[ Once it's done horking its way through another spit of acid, she moves forward once more and brings the staff down on it again, and again, knowing he'll do the same with his sword. She's not sure if they'll be able to kill it, but at the very least they should scare it off, right...? ]

october/november catch-all

ooc notes ❀

i. drifting like we're humanity's ghost (settling in) ❀

no subject

no subject

ii. the feathered arms of mystery (harpy hunting) ❀

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

sorry for the delay! been a rough week on this end.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

sorry for the delay! still catching up. ♥

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

iii. I've got a theory it could be bunnies (rabbits) ❀

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

iv. take a breather and I'll explain (scaleberries) ❀

New.. friend, huh 8')

tfw I forgot she wouldn't have materia

IT'S ALL GOOD. and nothing like casual panic

no subject

no subject

no subject