And I do Cherish You

[cetrary]

Who;Aerith+ OTA!
What; Setting up her shop for Cherishment and getting some chocolate! Feel free to also use this for any interactions you might want to have for the event or just for the month in general! She'll be working at her shop a TON trying to make the most things, so you can almost always find her there from morning to night.
Where; Her shop in the market and the chocolatier
When;Anytime at all
Warnings; None for now!


I. Aerith's Flower Shop.

Once a flower peddler, always a flower peddler. Surely that was a motto someone out there had, right? Well, if it wasn't, it was someone's now. Specifically, it was Aerith's current moment, at least for the time of Cherishment. She'd set up some samples in the window of her shop that showed off a variety of different flowers including: camellias, asters, roses, red and white chrysanthemums, ivy, and plenty of others. The common thread that tied them together was that they all represented affection in some way. In the center of all the flowers was a sample bouquet that was wrapped up with two different ribbons, one pink and one black. Next to it there was a small display showing off a sample of ribbons, each one in a different color. A sign finished the entire thing reading:

Let the flowers speak for you! Each bouquet comes with your choice of flowers and two ribbons, one for your loved one and one for you, creating something that will always tie your memories together!

It'd taken her a while to set it all up and even now she was working on small things, shifting things around so that everything looked as perfect as it could. Ironically that meant she wasn't completely aware of people that were coming by the shop. Or into the shop.

Maybe she should think of installing a bell.

II. Noble District Chocolatier

This hadn't always been here, had it? No, it was new. It was definitely new. She'd have definitely remembered a chocolatier. That alone should probably have made people suspicious of it, but it didn't. At least not the native people here. That was a kind of unsettling sometimes, how things would just appear and the people here acted like it'd always been there. The more sensible side to her thought that maybe she should just ignore it herself. Pretend like the chocolates didn't look particularly tasty and that the sweet smell wasn't appealing at all.

Nobody ever had any fun by listening to their sensible side though. The first box Aerith bought for herself. It wasn't the only box she bought though. She bought a few for other people, it seemed like the thing to do. They were wrapped so nicely and the idea of making someone happy with a small gift like this made her forget about the weirdness of it all. That was the point of the entire Cherishment thing wasn't it? Making friends and loved ones happy with a little gift that let them know how much they mattered. It was nice. Nicer than a lot of things this place had given to them. Nicer than most things back in her own world. Nice was a...well, it was a nice change of pace.

The chocolates that she'd bought for herself didn't make it too far before she'd opened the box up and tasted one. You see, she had to taste one. It was only right that she try them before she give them out to anyone else, right? What if they actually tasted terrible? It was the sensible thing to do.

That was what she was thinking when she bumped into someone else, clearly on their way to check out the new shops.

"Oh! Sorry," she mumbled with a mouth still half full of chocolate. This was just embarrassing.

Comments

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn didn’t agree, all knowledge and specialties were important in his opinion. Even random tidbits about flowers. They were important for more reasons than just looking nice, after all. “Mm… I’d call that modesty, Aerith. All of this? It’s impressive. Not everyone can do what you can.” He responded with a small gesture around the lush garden shop. “And for all the reading I do, the experience and advice you provide are sometimes more helpful than the things written down.”

But he settled again as he considered how to explain the project. “Mm… Most of it is as simple as, uh- working on starters that I can have ready for when Rhy and I move? I thought it might be nice to have a few things to put in the ground. The place we’re looking at has a lovely space for a proper garden… The uh- other thing, though.” He rubbed the side of his face lightly. “I want to work on a particular variety of rose for the garden. Someone I knew once grew hybrid tea roses in fuchsia and yellow. I was thinking it might be nice to surprise Rhy with some, but in red and a golden yellow?” Which was a little more advanced than Llewellyn had tried his hand at so far, but he wanted to give his husband something special, in his family colours.

His expression softened a little as she explained why she went willingly. It was definitely a decision he could understand, given he’d stepped between children and bad situations on more than one occasion. Still, how cruel would you have to be to take a child and use them to force someone’s hand like that? “I’m sorry, Aerith… Whether they would have gotten you eventually or not? That’s a delicate and difficult thing.”

Things like her situation with cloud were always difficult. Matters of the heart, feelings, it was usually a mess even without factoring in other concerns. “Sometimes figuring out complicated things is worth it in the end, though.” At least it had worked out that way for him, and he hoped it would for them, too.

Her attempt to give him a smile was not bought, nor was the attempt to put a brighter spin on it. “Mm… I see how that would be a positive, but… I still would rather hope for you to be included in those who are fine in the end, Aerith.” And that was simply that, no attempts to put a different light on it would change that opinion. Sorry, Aerith.

[cetrary]

"That's really nice of you to say," she replied with a polite smile. There was no point in trying to dissuade him from thinking what he wanted to think. She'd learned that well enough by now when it came to him. Besides it was nice to get compliments now and then.

"Oh that sounds exciting! I'd love to help you set something like that up! I have some golden yellow ones in my garden. I bet they'd be happy to go live with you two. Why those colors in particular?" Now it was her turn to be the nosey one!

"Don't be sorry, like I said it was my choice," and she was quite comfortable with the choice she'd made. "They came a lot to try to ask me to come back. They thought that it'd just make everything easier if I came willingly and they finally got a way to get me to. Besides, Cloud came and got me out eventually anyway. Though," she tapped her chin and gave him a bittersweet look. "I guess you saw the memory where he said he was going to come get me." And he managed to do just that, which shouldn't have really been surprising to anyone. Cloud did what he said for the most part.

She fell silent for a few seconds and then finally spoke with a very quiet voice. "If we're being honest, I kind of hope so too. It'd be nice to be able to see the things I want to see in the world. There's so much I've always wanted to experience but didn't."

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn was glad she didn’t try to argue that he was incorrect, because he certainly thought she deserved the compliment. At her response to his request, his expression lit up rather excited. “Really? Thank you, Aerith! I, um- I really appreciate it.” It would be really nice to have a chance to work on things in advanced, just to be able to put some colour in the garden sooner. Plus, it was fun to think it was a project they could work on.

Her question, though, that gets a slightly awkward little hum. Aerith was definitely within her right to be nosey with how bad he’d been for the better part of the day… But he was trying so very hard to not discuss his husband’s life prior to arriving in these worlds, and even if the secret was out that he’d been a king? It felt awkward to start telling details that maybe would be better heard from Rhy. So he rubbed the back of his neck, clearly trying to think of what to say that wouldn’t necessarily be a lie.

It helped that his husband was always seen wearing those colours… So he smiled finally, “Uh- well, they’re colours that mean more to him. Something of a theme he gravitates towards with decorating and his personal clothing.” Not the whole truth, of them being the Maresh family colours, but near enough, he hoped.

He shook his head a little. Just because it was her choice doesn’t mean it wasn’t a difficult position for her to be put in… But he nodded. “I did, uh- see that. When I returned the crystal to him, we spoke about it a little, and he said that he had gotten you out after that.” Thank goodness, even if he didn’t know what had exactly happened? Llewellyn was just glad to know she’d been rescued in the end.

Offering a small nod, he offered a hopeful smile. “You should have that chance, Aerith…” He wanted her to, wanted the best for his friend, even if he knew the odds were often against that. “And maybe while you’re here, you should take a few chances on things you haven’t had the chance to in your world.” He added, tilting his head thoughtfully. It was, in his experience, one of the upsides to not being in your own world.

[cetrary]

"I see, so kinda like his all time favorite colors for personal reasons?" She gave him a little smirk as if to indicate that she understood there were some things he didn't want to go into detail about. Keeping things close to your chest was something she was certainly familiar with and it seemed a bit too hypocritical for her to question it too much.

"He didn't come alone, they all came to help me. Even though I insisted that they didn't have to!" What were you to do with people like that? "They went through a lot to get me out too. The building has a lot of security, both from real people and machinery. It was a pretty silly mission if you ask me." But nobody really had and she couldn't say she wasn't grateful to get out.

"I've been trying to do that, most of it just involves doing things I really wanted to do that I probably won't get the chance to. Like opening my shop and expanding my garden. A part of me has even wanted to explore this place more than I have."

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn’s shoulders relaxed a bit, glad that she seemed to get that it wasn’t something he was going to go into too many details about. If it were his own story to tell, he would… But this was something special to Rhy, and his husband was already missing being able to keep his history to himself that he’d had been able to before the crystal rain. “Yes, that is, uh- an excellent way to describe it. So it seemed like… a nice gift to work on, something for him to enjoy in the garden when he’s sitting outside, I think.”

Listening to the explanation, he shook his head a little. “Doesn’t sound silly to me to work to get a friend back. You’re clearly cared about, Aerith.” Llewellyn had always been of the mind that you didn’t leave someone you cared about, just because things were difficult or dangerous. Though he knew not, everyone thought that way, which saddened him some.

“Those are good starts!” He commented with a smile, tilting his head thoughtfully at the idea. “There does seem like a lot of this place to explore, though I uh- do worry about how dangerous some places might be.” He added with a vague wave around. It was hard to not be curious about things, though he did try to avoid places he knew he couldn’t handle if they got dangerous. “Is there anything I could assist with, for things you’re looking to try or do while you’re here?”

[cetrary]

"It sounds like an amazing gift. You're very thoughtful, and good at thinking up these things!" She was happy to cheer him on there. Though, it seemed like both him and his husband put in a lot of thought towards each other. It was pretty sweet to see. And maybe she was just a tiny bit jealous. Maybe.

"See, it's silly because I said he didn't have to," she said with a very forced smile. "I am lucky though that they all cared so much. Really, I'm lucky to have met them all. I bet you'd like Tifa and Barret if you got to meet them too!" Not many people disliked Tifa and that was for good reason. Barret was maybe more of an acquired taste, but he had a good heart.

"I'd be careful! I promise." Which meant she'd definitely been thinking about trying to look towards the more dangerous and less traveled areas. "Well, maybe you could suggest something you like doing and I could give it a try! Something I might not have done back home or here yet."

[gadaboutdetective]

It was hard to not smile a little, with some relief, to hear. Sometimes his gifts hadn’t always gone as planned in the past, so it definitely boosted the man’s confidence a bit. “Thank you for saying so, Aerith. I have been, uh- trying to be a little better at thinking of things like this, so I’m hoping that he’ll like it.” They both were rather sweet, though, when it came to thoughtful gifts. Llewellyn was enjoying the opportunity, and the life he and Rhy had been able to build together. It wasn’t something he could have ever imagined for himself before.

If he knew Aerith was a tiny bit jealous, though, he would undoubtedly be even worse about nudging her about another someone.

It was hard to not act when you felt like you could do something to help someone you cared about, but Aerith seemed very stubborn about the idea that no one had to save her… But he grinned a little at her mention of her other friends, he hadn’t really seen anything of them in the crystal rains. “I’m sure any friend of yours would be a pleasure to meet.” He commented lightly, with a small tilt of his head. “Maybe one day we’ll see them here as well, but if not? I’d certainly be happy to hear more about them.”

Llewellyn couldn’t help but wonder what the promise of being careful really meant, because something told the detective Aerith meant she’d be ‘careful’ when traveling in the more dangerous areas. “Mm… I will hold you to that promise. I do hope you consider bringing someone along if you do. After all, it doesn’t hurt to have someone there to… share the adventure with?” Llewellyn Watts was a worrier by nature, especially when it came to friends or loved ones ending up in potentially dangerous situations.

At the suggestion, Llewellyn offered her a nod. “I think that sounds like a good idea. I’ll have to see if I can come up with something good. I confess, all of this?” He gestured at the flowers and their gardening tools. “This is something I hadn’t really done at home, always wanted to… But I never found an opportunity or the proper encouragement. That came from a friend in the last world I was.” He shrugged, “So trying new things has worked out rather well.” But the question was, what could he suggest that Aerith would like? That was going to take some contemplation on his part, and perhaps some figuring things out. It was a more pleasant challenge, though, especially if she had fun with it.

[cetrary]

"He'll love it, trust me! You know they say it's the thought that counts and really, I think it's true. The thought behind things matters more than what the gift actually is. My first boyfriend took me with him when he wanted to get me something," she held up a finger as if to stop him from saying anything before she could continue. "Now I know some might think that ruins the surprise! But...I thought it was really nice. He wanted to get me a ribbon," she reached up absentmindedly and touched the pink one tying her hair back. "but he wanted to make sure it was something I'd wear all the time, you know? So we picked it out together. It was really sweet." A creeping sadness started to come into her words and she decided swiftly that memory lane was not a lane she wanted to go down for too long.

"It might be nice to see them all here actually. Though I think Barret probably wouldn't be too content in a place like this. Especially if it meant being away from Marlene for too long. No amount of reassuring him that she wouldn't notice would actually work!" She may not have known him that long, but she could definitely bet on that being the case.

"Hmm, I'll consider it if I can think of a suitable adventure buddy." The mischievous smile on her face suggested that shed probably think about it then promptly decide on something else.

"I remember you've mentioned that before, I think that's neat that you found a new hobby in a new world. And kinda fitting, huh?" New world, new life kinda.

[gadaboutdetective]

It was hard to not get a little caught up in her explanation. It was a lovely idea, really… Asking someone to join you to help pick something special out. It certainly would have avoided the unpleasant incident back at the Sphere when Llewellyn accidentally gave Rhy flowers that, in Rhy’s world, meant he wanted to break up with him. But more than that… It was interesting to hear about Aerith’s life from what sounded like further in the past than Cloud or the trouble that she’d been dealing with. “That… Does sounds very sweet. I’ll have to keep that in mind for the future, I think.” He commented, though he tilted his head a little. “That was very thoughtful of him, wanting to make sure you had something you’d always wear from him.” He added with a small smile, though he tilted his head slightly.

There was something sad in her expression, and that was a little worrying. Perhaps a bad break up…? Or something else… She had seemed to touch the ribbon in her hair with distraction. Perhaps… Perhaps something a little worse than a breakup.

She seemed eager, even, to switch the conversation to the matter of her more recent friends. “You never know, they could arrive in time… I’ve seen a lot of people come and go in these worlds.” Never anyone from his own to suggest the likelihood, but he had also noticed sometimes people from the same or similar enough worlds could arrive more often than others. Sometimes he thought he saw a pattern, but oftentimes it didn’t quite add up. He smiled a little, though, “Sounds like Barret certainly would have a hard time if he arrived without this… Marlene, you said? Though, I suppose for all we know she could arrive, too.”

Aerith was going to prove to be one of those people he felt a need to check in on, certainly. Especially if she seemed like she was going to decide to go off on her own entirely… He raised a brow slightly at the comment, though, “In a place like this? I’m sure you have many experienced ‘adventure buddies’ to choose from.”

“Took me a little while to mm… adjust and be open to the idea. One gets set in their ways and doesn’t consider opportunities as readily as one should.” Which was odd to realize that even he had, when he always thought Murdoch was the boring one. “But it was fitting, I suppose? Well worth it in the end, too.” He added with a light smile. “Enjoyable, and if I hadn’t… Maybe I wouldn’t be working with you now, hm?” And he liked it there, both working with Aerith and getting the chance to know her a little better.

[cetrary]

"That was Zack. Sweet. Even if he was a bit of a charmer," she said with a sad little smile. He'd been impressively good at making friends with just about everyone he ran into.

"I don't think this would be a very good place for Marlene. She's strong, but she's already been through enough. Especially recently." Double recently what with the plate being dropped and all.

"But you see, a lot of these adventure buddies tend to worry a bit too much about me." Cloud especially. He'd never be happy with the idea of her exploring anywhere that might be dangerous.

"I suppose that's true for me too. Kind of. At least back home." Despite her interest in the world at large, she'd always been just a bit too afraid to leave. Afraid and unsure of if she should. There was always something in the back of her mind that told her she might need to stay here, that someday she'd be needed. Weird.

"Oh, good point! I'd miss my best assistant."

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn shook his head a little, “He sounds quite sweet- mm… and in my experience, someone who’s both sweet and a charmer is an interesting mix.” He just wondered where this Zack was, after all. He couldn’t help but wonder if something had happened, or if there was something more to it. Or… Maybe that was why she had asked Cloud to not fall for her in that memory. Perhaps she was still missing this Zack fellow. That sad tone to her smile… Perhaps.

He tilted his head slightly. He couldn’t deny this world wasn’t always the best place, sometimes in a few ways, and certainly not great for everyone… “Mm… Then best, I suppose, if they don’t arrive. As nice as it would be for you to see them again.” Of course, if Llewellyn knew Marlene was a small child, along with the things she’d been through, he would absolutely be in agreement in question. It was already rather worrying to know that children could arrive in these places as easily as any adult. All he’d learned to do over the last two years was try to watch out for them like at the Sphere. Well… It was a habit from even before there, if he were being honest. Even in his world, there was Felix, after all...

Llewellyn smiled a little. “Then you see if they’ll go on a little adventure with you to somewhere that’s not dangerous.” Those were probably less fun for some, though, and certainly didn’t hold as many interesting clues.

It seemed like the norm for most people, really. You fell into habits, or your responsibilities kept you distracted from other things… Or… Sometimes you just didn’t have the right nudge you needed to grow. “So, while here, we’ll have to see if there’s something you’d enjoy that you might not have considered before.” He’d figure something out, undoubtedly. He just needed to start thinking, perhaps. Perhaps someone else would even suggest something to her that would grab her attention without his aid.

His head ducked slightly at her compliment with a grin. “Your best assistant? Consider me flattered, though I would have thought that might be Cloud, where he did all the heavy lifting.” Llewellyn did his best, but it was hard to not notice the other people who were a little more in shape than he was.

[cetrary]

"A dangerous mix you mean," she said with a wide grin that was a bit too wide to be considered truly genuine. "He had a way of getting along with everyone." From what Zack had told her that even extended to his fellow comrades at arms. It'd seemed he was just universally liked and after spending a fair amount of time with him, she understood why.

"I'll see them again when I go back, right? At least for a little while more." And maybe more after that. Who knew what would happen now, right? She still felt it was a little too optimistic to think like that, but maybe there wasn't any real harm in thinking that way.

"Oh, but that's not fun at all, is it?" She tilted her head and gave him a conspiratorial wink. He would understand how that was, she knew he would. Even if he still probably would insist she not venture too far completely alone.

"It shouldn't be too hard to find something. After all, I've never really left Midgar's slums." Clearly there had to be a lot of things she'd never experienced or done out there. It was just a matter of narrowing it down to what those things were.

"Cloud isn't really an assistant. He's a bodyguard, so he has to do the things I say and it's totally different."

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn hummed slightly, “Perhaps it can be, but sometimes it’s hard to remember that.” He added in a thoughtful tone. Especially if you went and got particularly fond of the person, and it sounded like Aerith had.

She was right, though. The people they’d left behind weren’t going anywhere. They’d see them again whenever this world was done with them… Llewellyn did miss a couple people, though never enough to feel the urgent need to go back to his world. He liked his life here, really. “That’s true, and from what I understand, it’ll be like you never left.” So they could pick right back up where they left off… Though, with all this talk, Llewellyn hoped things went well for Aerith when she did go back.

“Hm… Fun and safe can coincide, I think.” He responded, because yes, he refused to let that go without pointing it out for her safety… But the tone of his smile, and the glint in his eye, definitely suggested he knew how that was. Danger or not, it was hard to not get caught up in an idea and following through, only thinking of the risks after the fact.

“I would point out he does far more than a bodyguard? Although, I suppose the position could be different in your world compared to mine.” Llewellyn responded with a small grin, because really, Cloud seemed to do whatever odd job Aerith came up with for him.

[cetrary]

"That's not untrue. First loves," she said with a shrug and a dismissive smile. Fond was a bit of an understatement when you got down to it.

"That's a bit weird to think about isn't it? That we'll just go back like nothing had ever happened." And a bit sad if you thought too long about it all. Which probably meant it was for the best to not do that.

"Hmmmm....I'm not so sure about that!" Was she teasing? Maybe. Maybe not.

"It's a very complicated job where I'm from." No, it's not. It's exactly what Watts was thinking of, but she could pretend, right? Right.

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn supposed that was true… First loves were like that, and he knew that well enough by now.

“It’s very weird to think about.” He responded, though, to her comment. “I, um… I confess, I try to not think about it too much. I know most people have plenty of reason to go back, and probably will be glad for it, but I don’t really like the idea of forgetting all this.” Even he knew he’d made a lot of personal progress, had grown in ways that he wasn’t sure he’d find himself with the opportunity to in his world. Hell, he was pretty sure his boss was getting to the point that he was looking for a reason to get rid of him if he didn’t fall in line.

Teasing or not, Llewellyn chuckled a little. “So you’re telling me I need to provide you with solid evidence that I’m correct? I don’t think it would be that hard.”

Well, Llewellyn tilted his head with a very skeptical look at her words. Complicated job… He was certainly trying to figure out if she was fibbing or not. But his knowledge of her world was limited to what he’d learned from her or from Cloud… And since Cloud was a man of few words? Most of what he knew was from her. “Clearly more complicated than in my world, by the sounds of it.”

[cetrary]

"Mmm, I don't blame you. There are things I do my best to not think about too much," she said with a sad looking smile. It wasn't too often that she admitted to things like that but now seemed like as good of a time as any.

"Would it really be that easy to give me evidence?" If so that's unfortunate for her. But at least he still seemed a bit convinced that she could be telling the truth about bodyguards!

"Maybe they're just a bit more versatile in my world." She smiled. "Or maybe Cloud is just a bit more versatile!"

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn tilted his head at her, offering a sympathetic smile in return. “I suppose we both have things we’d be happier not dwelling on the thought of.”

So a distraction, yes. He could work on that, even if… He might still push her a bit on some subjects. Wouldn’t be Llewellyn if he didn’t. “I think that it would be, but! I guess I won’t know until you tell me if you consider the ‘safe’ thing I think of as fun.” And you wouldn’t lie to him about that, now would you Aerith?

But he was at least… Accepting the possibility that bodyguards might be prone to taking on more than just guarding in other worlds. He had no proof as yet to suggest otherwise. But, in time, he might learn through further questioning that it wasn’t quite the case. “If it’s the norm, I would say that the position is far more versatile in your world than mine.” Llewellyn couldn’t help but chuckle a little, though. “But having seen Cloud around. I could see it being a ‘him’ thing.”

[cetrary]

"I imagine that's the case for just about everyone." Her tone and expression both held a light sadness.

"Guess we'll just have to wait to see, huh?" Except she was pretty sure now that when that happened he'd have plenty of evidence to counter that maybe what she'd done had indeed been the unsafe thing to do. Realistically she was well aware of this, but that definitely didn't mean she wouldn't go off and get into some sort of trouble.

"Mmm...well, maybe I'm not entirely sure if it's the norm. To be fair, I kind of just decided it on the spot after he fell on my flowers." So maybe she'd kinda made it up as she went. Maybe! "Cloud is kind of a helper isn't he?" Mostly just for her.

[gadaboutdetective]

“I suppose we shall, or you’ll do the waiting while I do the looking.” He responded with a lighter expression. Yes, Llewellyn tended to be rather thorough when it came to that. Chances were he’d have it all… Well, not neatly arranged for her. He didn’t work like that, but there would be many papers, all of which to prove a point. Unless she happened to be lucky enough for this to slip his mind entirely. It could happen sometimes, usually when he had too much to think about and his memory failed him.

Ah, now there was the hint of truth he was hoping to hear from her. It was still a bit strange, really, but… It seemed that the definition of ‘Bodyguard’ might be made up by Aerith herself as things came to her. “He fell on your flowers?” He asked with an interested little tilt of his head.

“I don’t know him as well, but he does seem quite prone to taking things on around the city. He’s definitely more inclined than some to offer a helping hand- even if it’s accompanied by a rather serious demeanor.” He responded with a small smile. Cloud reminded him of a few people he’d met. So the shortness and the sometimes more severe expression didn’t bother him too much...

[cetrary]

The topic of Cloud falling on her flowers was at least a slightly more lighthearted topic. As long as she didn't think too long on just how closely it mirrored how she met that first love of hers.

"Mmhmm. Crashed right through the roof onto my flower bed! Pretty lucky for him that it was there." Not so lucky for her flowers, pretty rude of him really. Not that he had much of a say in the matter.

"Only rather serious? He must be improving then."

[gadaboutdetective]

Right through a roof? Goodness, that was a rather dramatic entrance, to say the least. He tilted his head slightly with a small smile. “Lucky for him to land on something soft, though less lucky for the blooms he landed on, I’m sure. That must have been quite the surprise for you, if you were just minding your own business and working on tending to them.”

Well, Llewellyn was being kind in his description. “Perhaps he is? Though I’m used to people who tend to be a bit… serious, or even grumpy at times.” Used to annoying them, too. Cloud had never acted particularly aggressive around him, though, so it wasn’t as though his sometimes grumpy expressions bothered him much.

[cetrary]

"You know, it wasn't as surprising as you might think. That's also how I met Zack." Was that the first time she'd actually said his name? Somehow it felt a bit relieving to actually just talk about him more directly with someone. "I guess they both have really good luck. Or...maybe they just have it out for flowers," she tried to make a lighter joke of it all.

"Maybe there's truth to the old thing about opposites attracting."

[gadaboutdetective]

And now they had a name… Llewellyn couldn’t help but note that, almost faster than he had realized that she was saying that Zack had fallen through a roof onto her flowers too. It was nice to at least hear some ease to her tone, shifted from earlier. But when he did realize what she’d said, his expression shifted to something comically surprised. What kind of odds were those? “He did? Goodness, you may need to get your roof reinforced, hm?” He responded in a tone that might have been joking, or it might have been a genuine recommendation.

“Well, if Cloud has it out for flowers, we haven’t seen evidence of it here.” He added with another small smile. “Unless he’s waiting for an unexpected moment to strike against them.”

[cetrary]

"It was a church in the slums and well....it was pretty much deserted aside from me and my flowers." Slums probably said all it needed to say. "There were only a few places where anything could grow down there. The boys were lucky they crashed through where they did." Though one had to wonder if it was luck or fate. Maybe a bit of both. She shrugged. "I don't think anyone really thinks of reinforcing much of anything in any of the slums."

She giggles. "Guess we'll have to keep our eyes on him, huh?"

[gadaboutdetective]

“Ah… I think I understand, then.” Llewellyn responded, putting the pieces together wasn’t particularly hard. Slums, as she thought, said enough… And he’d also seen the state of enough abandoned buildings in his time to realize how fragile they could be. “They were very lucky then. Falling from a height like that could be dangerous…” He shook his head a little, but frowned lightly. “There are always mm… certain places in a city that go neglected, it’s terribly frustrating…” Because there were usually plenty of people in those places who were as neglected and forgotten as the buildings themselves.

Her giggling was a bit infections though, chuckling a little himself. “We’ll have to keep a very close watch, look for clues and signs that he’s planning something, hm?” Though Llewellyn could already imagine the rather severe expression the man might wear if he heard them now.